Changes
by DrarryLover4Ever
Summary: Harry has been away for five years.  He comes back at a time that Draco's life is in danger.  Is Harry the one who is endangering him or is someone else out for revenge against the two? Creature Fic, H/D pairing with some other minor pairings
1. He's Changed

**A/N: So... this is my newest story...I debated about starting to post this, but alas, I chose to do it. This story is going to be a creature type fic :) I hope that you guys will enjoy it. I know I'm enjoying it so far. Anyway, the first couple chapters will be setting it up, but it will get even better as it goes along. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: He's Changed**

Pounding footsteps sounded through the office area that Draco Malfoy was working in. He glanced up from the pile of paperwork, that he was looking through, to see what the commotion was all about. Running through the office was none other than Hermione Granger, soon to be Hermione Nott and she looked extremely excited. She stopped directly in front of Draco's desk, a big smile on her face.

"He's coming!" she cried out happily.

Draco lifted an eyebrow at her exuberance. "Who's coming?"

"Harry, you dolt! He's coming to the wedding! Oh my gosh! I can't believe he's actually coming!" she exclaimed as she sunk into the seat in front of Draco's desk. She stared past him, a pleased smile on her face.

"Not sure why this is something I need to know, Granger," he pointed out.

She leveled him with a glare and then smirked. Draco didn't like that look. "Because you're coming to the wedding of course and I figure that you should know that Harry will be there and you wouldn't possibly ruin the most important day, in my life, over a petty issue with my best friend," she reasoned.

"And why would Potter being there possibly make any difference to me?" he questioned in a bored tone.

Hermione frowned. "He's changed, Draco, a lot and well, I think you should be prepared for that," she said carefully.

This piqued Draco's interest. "Changed? Changed how?" he asked curiously.

"Well, Theo and I saw him about two months ago and he was really different. I don't know, he was just different. Anyway, I have a million things to do. Come over tonight. Harry will be there. Oh, I just can't believe he's coming!" she exclaimed excitedly once again and jumped up to leave.

"You're just going to leave me hanging?" he called after her retreating form. She raised her hand in a wave and disappeared.

Draco looked at the stack of papers in front of him and frowned. His face brightened when he thought of who he could talk to that would tell him just how Harry has changed. He reached for the phone (they had installed these muggle like contraptions throughout the ministry after the war) and called over to the Ministry of Magic division to speak to Theo.

"Theo Nott, secretary to the Ministry of Magic, how may I help you?" Theo answered on the second ring.

Draco snickered into the phone and cleared his throat. "Yes, Madam, I mean Mister Secretary…" he trailed off when Theo huffed into the phone.

"Har, har, Draco. What's up?" he asked, his voice no longer a business tone.

"So, I hear that Potter is going to the wedding and will be at the shindig this evening?" he mentioned as if it didn't matter to him.

"That is correct and no I am not going to tell you how he's different. Now if that is all Draco, some of us have to work around here," Theo responded in a joking tone.

"Come on, tell me!" Draco whined petulantly.

"Good-bye, Draco!" Theo sing-songed before he hung up on him.

Draco huffed as he hung up the phone. He looked around his cubicle with a frown, deep in thought about just how much Harry could have really changed in five years.

**XXXX**

Draco was bursting at the seams to get to Hermione and Theo's to see the "changed" Harry. It took all the strength he had to relax until 7:00 when he could finally apparate to their place without seeming too eager.

He arrived outside their home and looked around, wondering if Harry was already there. He had been imagining all sorts of things like he had grown his hair out in a long shag which caused him to upturn his nose at the possibility of that. He also wondered if he had gained tons of weight and was now portly like Crabbe or Goyle had been. He wondered if he'd died his hair blond or something or if he had simply changed his hair a smidgen and left it at that.

Draco took a deep breath before he waltzed up to Hermione and Theo's house and knocked on the door. He lifted his chin confidently and waited. After a few moments the door opened and he was greeted by Neville Longbottom.

"Good evening, Longbottom," he said genuinely. He smiled at the boy who returned the smile.

"Hey, Malfoy, come in. We're all in the sitting room," Neville greeted. He gestured in that direction and Draco followed off behind him.

Draco was suddenly very nervous. He had been trying to be calm and rational with his thoughts about Harry, but knowing that he could be there already was making him very anxious. He had hoped that enough time had passed that they could be cordial to one another. He took a deep breath before rounding the corner and coming into the sitting room. His eyes scanned the room quickly. They settled on a figure that was across the room that had their back to him. He looked the person up and down slowly. They had short dark, spiky black hair with a well built, lithe muscled body. They were wearing head to toe black. The black jeans were fitted and worked perfectly with the person's body and the shirt was loose, but nicely fitted as well.

"Harry!" Someone called out from across the room. Draco's eyes lit up and he watched as the person he had just been checking out turned towards the voice. Draco's eyes widened as he saw Harry's shoulders tense and he saw his head turn towards him. Draco's mouth dropped open and he felt a flush to his cheeks as Harry's bright green eyes settled on him. Draco felt a shock rip through his system at the way Harry's eyes stood out against his tan complexion. Then, to make him feel even more hot and bothered, Harry lifted his lips into a smirk and turned away. Draco instantly felt the absence of his look and had to reach out to grab something. It turned out that Neville was still standing by him and Draco was gripping his shoulder to keep himself upright.

"Alright, Malfoy?" Neville asked in concern. Draco nodded dumbly, his mouth moving to speak. "Um, maybe you should sit down. Let me get you something to drink," Neville said as he moved Draco to the nearest seat. Draco sat heavily and continued to stare at the spot that Harry was at. He couldn't look away. He blinked his eyes slowly and saw a cup of water in front of him. He reached out to take it, but Neville would not let go. He looked at the hand that was holding it and then followed it up the tan arm, black sleeve, and finally to the stubble on said person's face. It most definitely was not Neville. He looked up further and once again he was looking directly into intense green eyes that were no longer hidden behind round-rimmed glasses.

"Are you alright, Malfoy?" Harry asked in a tender tone.

Draco stared at him, blinking his eyes slowly. "I don't know," he croaked. Draco took the cup after Harry let go and sipped eagerly at it. He tensed when Harry sat down next to him, turning his body so that their knees were touching.

"How have you been? It seems like ages since I last saw you," Harry asked quietly. Draco glanced around the room, but no one was really paying him much mind although he felt like someone was staring at him intensely. Harry was.

"It's been five years," Draco responded. He glanced sideways at Harry who was still staring intently at him. He squirmed under the gaze and sipped his water.

He heard Harry let out a breath and felt his gaze turn away from him. "Yeah, I was going through some stuff after the war," he replied absently.

Draco turned towards him with a frown. "Such as?" he questioned.

Harry shrugged and looked back at him. "Dealing with the war, the losses, some other stuff."

Draco nodded. "You needed to go away for that?" he asked, his voice sounding almost hurt or confused.

Harry turned to him fully and stared at him. Draco looked up and their eyes met once again. As before, Draco felt the look deep within him and could not look away. Harry reached out with his hand, but then brought it back. He flexed his hand, making a fist, several times before he released it and answered his question. "I didn't have much choice."

Draco lifted an eyebrow in question, but Harry didn't elaborate. Draco was about to ask something else in order to get an answer to his question, but Hermione had called out to Harry and he excused himself and got up. Draco watched him leave, curiosity filling his mind.


	2. I'm Not Going to Kill You

**A/N: Here's another chapter of this story. I'm trying to pace myself so that there isn't a lot of lag time between chapters, but who knows with me lol. Hope you enjoy this chap! It's short, but gives a few hints :)**

**Chapter 2: I'm Not Going to Kill You**

"Mione, I've already told you. I don't want to talk about where I've been. I've been dealing with the war and all of that. It doesn't matter. I'm here now," Harry said for what seemed like the millionth time.

Hermione bit her lip. She and Harry were talking in the kitchen, away from everyone. She had seen the exchange between Harry and Draco and it piqued her interest at how flustered Draco looked. "Harry, I just feel like you're not telling me something important," she responded.

Harry took a deep breath and stepped away from her for a moment. He turned his back on her and rolled his shoulders. Hermione watched him with concern. "You're right, I am not telling you everything, but I am not ready to tell you. All I can say is that I have things that I need to do and that is why I'm back. Can we leave it at that for now?"

Hermione frowned and studied him for several moments before responding. She sighed finally. "Alright, I'm just glad your home." She stepped towards him and wrapped him up into a hug. When she stepped back she was looking at him curiously. "You've gotten taller and did you hurt your upper back or something?" she questioned. She went to reach and touch his back, but he flinched out of her way and shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Do you need any help with dinner?" he asked, changing the subject.

She frowned again, but shook her head. "No. Why don't you go talk to Draco some more. He was very curious as to how you've changed," she said with a grin.

Harry chuckled as he glanced towards the sitting room. Draco was talking animatedly with several people. Harry watched him for several moments. When Draco laughed, he felt his heart flutter at the sound. He sighed and glanced at Hermione who was still grinning at him. He shook his head and walked into the room. Hermione had no idea what he was dealing with right now.

**XXXX**

"Hermione, Theo, another great night. Thank you for inviting me," Draco said as he hugged Hermione and shook hands with Theo. He opened the front door as they waved him good bye. He stepped outside, into the crisp night air and was startled to see Harry standing against the post outside the door. The door shut behind him as if Theo and Hermione knew that Harry was there and knew that it would make him all flustered to be around him.

Harry looked at him carefully and smiled. "Can I walk you to the apparition point?" he asked. He wasn't looking directly at Draco as if doing so would be uncomfortable for him.

Draco frowned. "I guess. It's not like it's that far," he replied as he started down the steps and in the direction of the apparition point.

Harry stepped down the steps behind him and placed his hands in his pockets. "That's true, but you never know what could happen between the door and the apparition point. Especially late at night," he reasoned.

Draco glanced sideways at him warily. "Are you going to kill me, Potter?" he asked in a mostly joking tone.

Harry chuckled darkly and shook his head. "No, I am not going to kill you."

Draco looked over at him in alarm. He became even more alarmed when Harry stopped where he was and looked at the ground intently as he tilted his head from side to side. "Potter, what are you doing?" Draco demanded.

Harry lifted his finger to his lip in a shushing gesture while reaching out and grabbing Draco's arm and pulling him closer to him. Draco nearly tripped, but Harry's strong grip kept him upright. He wrapped said arm around Draco's waist and pulled him flush against him. Draco gasped at the contact and flushed, but noticed that Harry wasn't really reacting at all which made him frown. He also realized at that moment that Harry was nearly as tall as him.

"Stay close to me. You are not safe," Harry whispered as he moved quickly towards the apparition point, keeping a firm grip on Draco. His eyes scanned the area around them and Draco looked around as well trying to see what was so dangerous. He saw nothing.

Finally, they had reached the apparition point. Harry stepped into it with Draco right next to him. "Apparate us, Malfoy," he ordered. Draco narrowed his gaze at being told what to do, but complied. He apparated them to his flat. Harry instantly let go of him as soon as they landed and ran his hand around the area surrounding them as he muttered. After a few more moments of Harry waving his hands about, he finally stopped and stepped back, looking satisfied.

Draco was watching him with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring at him. "What in the hell is going on, Potter?" he demanded.

Harry looked at him and shook his head. "Not now, Malfoy. Get some rest. I'll see you again soon," he replied. He nodded once before he disappeared.

Draco stared at the place that he had been, wondering how in the hell he had just disappeared without apparating. He walked over to his window and peeked out. He looked across the street and swore he saw a dark figure sitting in the tree across the way. He felt a chill run up his spine at the thought of someone watching his home and he thought again about the way Harry had reacted earlier. "What is going on with him?" he wondered aloud. He glanced at the window one last time before he retreated to his bedroom.


	3. A Missing Memory

**A/N: Here is the next chapter of this story :) It's a smidgen interesting I think ;) Makes you think... Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: A Missing Memory**

Harry sat in a large tree across the street from Draco's flat. He saw him move the curtain to peek out and he knew that he had seen him despite blending into the darkness. He also knew that he had no idea it was him that was watching, but he also knew that he wasn't the only one who was keeping tabs on Draco. He truly was in danger and Harry had to protect him, his life depended on it.

**XXXX**

Draco awoke the next morning from a restless nights sleep. He had nightmares all night about a faceless person stalking him. Throughout his dreams he would catch glimpses of Harry watching him as well. His piercing green eyes never straying from him. It was both unnerving and warming at the same time.

He rubbed his eyes roughly, and then sat up. He immediately felt the sensation that he wasn't alone. He quietly slipped out of bed and put a shirt on before he grabbed his wand and started towards his bedroom door. He was careful to step over the creaking floor boards in his flat as he moved towards the open area of his living and kitchen area. With his wand raised, he peeked around the edge of the hallway, a spell on the tip of his tongue. He was about to cast the spell when someone spoke from around the corner.

"I suggest you not hex me, Malfoy," Harry commented in a bored tone. Draco jumped, clutching at his chest, but quickly calmed himself and stepped out from the corner with a frown. His eyes settled first on Harry and then second on the mess that was his living room.

"What the hell?" Draco demanded as he gestured around the room and at Harry.

"Which would you like answered first, why I'm here or why your flat is a mess?" Harry questioned.

Draco placed his hands on his hips and glared at him. "What did you do to my flat?"

Harry sighed and pushed off the wall and stepped over the mess. He stood next to Draco, closer than one should stand. Draco felt the heat radiating off of him and flushed slightly at the nearness. _Since when am I so flustered about Potter? _He thought angrily. "I didn't do this. This is why I am here to answer that question and why your flat is a mess, I have some sort of idea," he responded.

Draco looked over at him in confusion. "Are you saying that someone else did this to my living room?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around himself and shook with fear at the idea of someone being in his flat.

"Yes, I saw them," Harry replied quietly.

Draco's eyes widened. "And you didn't think to stop them or I don't know, come in here and warn me? Obviously you can get through my wards and apparently whomever did this to me can as well!" he shrieked.

Harry lifted an eyebrow at his dramatics and shook his head. "You were never in danger. I was here the entire time," he began.

Draco threw his hands up in the air. "And you couldn't stop them?" he asked in exasperation.

"Malfoy, they were looking for something. They weren't here to harm you, at least not yet anyway. I was here in case they did come for you, but I know that for right now they are just looking for something," he continued.

Harry nodded. "That is exactly what I am saying."

Draco let out a yell and shoved Harry hard. He barely moved. Draco glared at him and shoved him again with the same result. He let out a huff and pushed passed Harry being sure to bump his shoulder. He cringed as his shoulder twinge with pain and he had to fight the urge to touch his shoulder and massage the pain away. He wondered again, for what seemed like the millionth time, what had happened to Harry.

"Draco, there is something you need to understand," Harry started.

Draco stopped his perusal of the cabinets at the sound of Harry saying his first name. He smiled softly into the cabinets and blushed. However, he didn't want Harry to know that he was blushing and loving the fact that he used his first name. He schooled his features into a scowl and turned to look at him. "And what is it that I _need_ to understand?" he asked in a petulant tone.

"I didn't interfere because they can't know that I am here. They can't know that I am protecting you. They will kill me if they do," Harry explained.

Draco stared at him and took in the serious expression on his face. "Who is they?" he asked, gulping.

Harry huffed in anger, not at Draco, but at the situation. "I don't know. The people that were here last night were just lackeys. We could take them and see if that will help us find whoever is calling the shots, but we've tried that and it isn't working. They have taken the unbreakable vow. The only thing that we can do is keep an eye on you and see if the person comes out of hiding to deal with you himself," he responded as he paced the room.

As Harry talked, Draco became paler and paler. He sunk into a chair in his kitchen area and placed his head in his hands. Harry walked over and pulled a seat up close to him, very close. "Did you join the aurors or something?" Draco asked quietly.

Harry snorted which caused Draco to look up in surprise. Harry blushed. "I wish that's what it was. It wouldn't be so bad, but no. I am not an auror. It's something else that I am a part of, or have become I guess. Anyway, that doesn't matter. I am here for you. I am here to protect _you_. I wish we could do it differently and not put you at risk, but as of right now, this is our only option," he finished. He never broke eye contact with Draco the entire time as if he was trying to stress to him how important it was that he was there.

"Is this something you volunteered to do or did someone assign you as my protector or whatever you want to call it?" Draco asked. He was very nervous to hear his answer.

Harry sat back in his chair and looked away. Draco frowned and looked away as well, trying to not show how hurt he was by Harry's actions. "Yes and no. I didn't volunteer to do this. It was something that I didn't have a choice in. It's my duty. But I couldn't let anyone else do this anyway. You're too important to have someone else keep you safe," he replied blushing.

Draco turned to look at him. He lifted an eyebrow at the declaration and grinned. "Too important? How so?" he questioned curiously.

Harry shook his head and stood. "I have to go. I'll see you again soon. Please be careful and I need you to remember something: I am always nearby and always watching. I will keep you safe, until the very end," Harry responded. He stared intently at Draco once again, urging him to understand what he was saying. He reached out again to touch him and Draco fluttered his eyes closed, waiting impatiently for the touch, but when he opened his eyes, Harry was gone.

Draco groaned and dropped his head to the table with a loud klunk. "Potter, what is going on with you? Why are you avoiding my questions? Why am I in danger?" Draco said aloud to his table.

He stood up from the table and strode to his bathroom to get ready for the day. He had a purpose for the day and he wasn't going to go to bed without some answers.

After his shower he stepped back into his living room and looked around. It was clear that someone was looking for something. He let out a huff of irritation despite the hairs on his neck standing on end at the thought that someone had been in his home, violating his personal space. He flicked his wand and the room was righted once more. He glanced around to see if anything was missing and his eyes fell on a vial holder that he kept several memories, particularly difficult memories, in. One was missing. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion and walked over to the shelf. He didn't label his memories, but he knew which memory was in each vial and he knew exactly what memory was missing and he didn't understand why they would take that particular memory. It was the memory from the Room of Requirement when Crabbe had cast Fiendfyre and had subsequently been killed by his own curse. He frowned deep in thought as to why this memory was of particular importance and played a factor in why his life was in danger.

Draco turned away from the shelf and walked to his front door. He was going to let Harry know about that missing memory and see if he thought of why that memory was so important. He also wanted to talk to Theo to see if he had heard anything through his family about anyone who had it out for him. He took one last glance around his flat, vowing to up his security even more then he already had.


	4. Just Be Careful

**A/N: Another chapter for you :) I'm afraid that it doesn't give you much more info about our dear Harry, but not to worry, it will be coming soon :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Just Be Careful**

Draco arrived at the ministry and looked cautiously around before he went inside. Whoever was following him was doing a really good job at staying hidden. He hustled to the lifts and chose the Ministry of Magic level. As soon as the doors opened he was walking quickly down the hallway to Theo's office. He arrived at the office, breathing heavily. He walked up to the receptionist's desk.

"Is Theo Nott in?" he asked the young woman behind the desk. She looked up at him appreciatively which made Draco shudder within. _No way, _Draco thought.

"Yes, of course. May I ask who is here?" she asked in a tone that suggested she was more interested in what his name was for her own personal gain then who was there to see Theo.

Draco struggled not to roll his eyes. "Tell him that Draco Malfoy is here," he replied politely.

She stared at him for a moment, no doubt recalling how she knows that name. Draco watched her for a moment wanting to reach out and slap her upside the head to get her moving, but he didn't have to wait much longer as she realized that he wasn't worth her time. She sighed loudly and pressed a button. Theo's voice came across the intercom.

"Sir, there is a Draco Malfoy here to see you," she said in a bored tone. Draco frowned in annoyance. The girl nodded and gestured for him to head back. He gave her a curt nod and made his way quickly down the hallway. "Bint," he muttered as he walked into Theo's office.

"Aw, so you've met Keri then?" Theo asked without looking up from his papers.

"Yeah, rude much?" he responded as he took a seat in front of his desk.

"Yes, we aren't really fans of her, but apparently she knows somebody, who knows somebody, who has influence to help her keep her job. Anyway, so what brings you here?" Theo questioned as he looked up from his paper and set his reading glasses down.

Draco took a deep breath and looked at Theo seriously. Theo's expression instantly became guarded and concerned. He scrunched his eyebrows in worry as he took in the expression on Draco's face. "Have you heard anything about someone coming after me?"

"Excuse me?" Theo asked in a confused tone.

Draco bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair; two things that he never does unless he is super nervous or freaked out or both. His hand shook as well which made Theo even more alarmed. "Someone broke into my flat last night and stole one of my memories," Draco replied.

Theo stood up quickly and came around to lean against the desk in front of Draco. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm freaked out! I woke up this morning and I could just feel that someone was in my flat. When I came out, Potter was there and my living room was trashed. My first thought was that Potter had done it and I had caught him, but then he told me that he watched the people who did it. Of course then I got really mad and wondered why he didn't stop them. He wouldn't tell me. He just said that they can't know that he's here, or else they'll kill him, whatever that means!" Draco exclaimed.

Theo's frown deepened as he listened to Draco explain what had happened. "So Harry has been assigned to watch over you by someone and then some other person or persons is out to get you and stealing memories from you?" he summed up.

Draco nodded and looked at him fearfully. "Have you heard anything?"

"Draco, don't you think that if I've heard something that I would tell you? I haven't heard anything, but I also haven't been listening for anything because I haven't had a reason to. Now, however, I will listen around and see what I can find out. What memory did they take?" Theo told him.

"The one from the Room of Requirement when Crabbe had set the Fiendfyre and subsequently died. I prefer to not keep that memory playing around in my head," Draco replied with a shudder.

"Is the whole memory in that vial?" Theo asked as he waggled an eyebrow and grinned at him.

Draco blushed and looked away. "That's a particular nice part of the memory. I don't mind seeing that one. Which reminds me, what were your impressions last night of him?"

"I, uh, well…." Theo stuttered as he ran a hand through his hair. Draco crossed his arms and looked up at him with a lifted eyebrow. Theo sighed. "I don't particularly want to speak about my future wife's best friend, but Draco, he is stunning and I am saying that in the straightest way possible. There is also something very dark about him and very different that makes me nervous and on edge. Just be careful, alright? He may be claiming to be protecting you, but what if he is the one who's after you and is trying to get you to trust him, only to pull the wool over your eyes in the end?" he finished.

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Theo, its Harry Potter we're talking about here! The Savior of the Wizarding World, the Boy Who Lived, the Golden Boy, the man who has a serious hero complex. He defeated the Dark Lord. Why would he possibly want to kill me when he had millions of chances before? Especially in the Room of Requirement. He could have easily left me there instead of rescuing me," he admonished.

Theo frowned at him and walked back to the other side of his desk and took a seat. "And that changed a lot of people. I would imagine that it would change Harry the most. I just want you to be careful," he reiterated.

Draco narrowed his gaze at him knowingly. "You know something about where he's been and what happened to him?" he accused.

Theo stared at him intently. "I have my suspicions, yes. Just be careful, alright?"

Draco threw his hands up in the air and stood up angrily. "Why can't anyone just answer my damn questions?" he demanded. He stormed over to the door and reached for it to open it.

"Draco, I don't want to answer because I don't want to be wrong. All I am asking is that you stay careful. Harry could genuinely be protecting you from whoever stole that memory and whoever is watching you, but if my suspicions are correct, it very well could be Harry. Please, Draco," Theo replied, almost begging.

Draco dropped his shoulders and looked over his shoulder at him. "Alright, I'll do my best. Let me know if you hear anything," he responded quietly.

He saw Theo nod and felt his gaze on him as he left his office. His heart was racing with his nervousness and his body was wound tight with all the worries that were plaguing him now. He had to find Harry and he had to find him fast.


	5. A Revealing Kiss

**A/N: A moment that you may have all been waiting for :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: A Revealing Kiss**

Draco returned to his flat, wand drawn. He searched his place room by room to check to be sure that he was in fact alone. After checking his office he sighed and walked back out to the living room and let out a shriek and a fumbled spell that hit the wall above Harry's head. He didn't even flinch. Harry glanced up at the chunk of wall that was now gone and looked back at Draco with a raised eyebrow.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Can't you knock?" Draco demanded in a high pitched voice.

Harry shrugged. "Eh, it's just easier to let myself in. Besides, you looked like you were pretty focused on searching your flat. I couldn't possibly interrupt that," he responded with a smirk.

Draco huffed and crossed his arms angrily. "You are infuriating," he seethed.

Harry shrugged nonchalantly and looked away from him. "I apologize. Now, I know that you've been meaning to tell me something since this morning. What is it?" he asked as he moved away from Draco's rant.

Draco stared at him in surprise. "How did you know?" he whispered.

Harry frowned and shook his head. "What is it? What happened after I left?" he asked again, ignoring his question.

Draco narrowed his gaze and scowled. "Potter, I am really getting tired of my questions not being answered. How did you know?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

"I just know, alright? I've already told you that I can't tell you what is going on with me," Harry reminded in a calm voice.

"That's not good enough! Someone is out to kill me probably and you are telling me absolutely nothing that will help me keep myself safe!" Draco yelled.

"I will keep you safe," Harry responded quietly. He stood and stepped towards Draco to try and calm him, but it only made him angrier.

"What if I don't want you to keep me safe? What if I don't want to have anything to do with you? What if I never want to see you again and wish that you hadn't come back?" Draco yelled.

Harry glared at him and stepped into his personal space. "You can tell me to go away and I will go. But you need to understand that if you tell me to leave, there will be no one to keep you safe. Not even yourself. This is above your skills and abilities. You will be killed, Draco. I can guarantee it," Harry said in a calm and scary tone which got softer towards the end.

They were ridiculously close now so close that Harry just had to lean forward a couple of inches and they would be kissing. So like any smart minded person in a heated argument, Harry closed the distance and pressed his lips against Draco's. He heard him gasp and knew exactly what was happening to him. There was no going back though. Draco wanted some answers and so, Harry was giving him some.

XXXX

Draco was angry, furious, and livid with the way that things were going at the moment. Harry was both infuriating and irresistible. He could not stand the fact that he knew so much, but revealed so little. He couldn't stand the fact that having him so close felt like he was so far away. He also couldn't stand the feel of his lips on his own when Harry closed the distance between them and kissed him. He was about to pull away in surprise, but suddenly images started flashing in his mind and he couldn't move away.

The first image that was presented to him was a glimpse of the fire in the Room of Requirement. It was so real to him that he felt like he was there again. He watched as Harry reached out to grab him and pulled him on to his broom, saving his life. The next image showed his mother leaning over Harry's dead body. She was talking to him in frantic tones. He heard her ask if he was safe and Harry said that he was. After that it showed the courtroom where Harry was defending him to the Wizengamot. There were brief glimpses after that moment that he couldn't quite catch. The last was the hardest to watch.

He was standing in a forest, similar to the Forbidden Forest. There was a roaring fire in the middle of a clearing and there were several people standing around. They looked to be wearing black cloaks, but Draco was too far away to tell. He saw above the fire, a platform that held a body on it. With morbid curiosity, Draco moved closer to see who it was on the platform. When he was close enough he could hear people murmuring and he could hear begging from the platform. He watched in confusion, unsure of what was going on. His eyes locked on the body over the fire and he saw the shock of black hair that he had seen every day for several years. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized it was Harry that was on the platform. His fears were confirmed when he turned his head and opened his eyes. The bright emerald green shone in the light. Draco locked Harry's gaze with his own and focused in on the words he was uttering, but he could not figure out what he was saying. Harry's back arched and his face contorted in pain. He looked away from Draco and up into the night sky. He cried out in pain and then his body shot up to standing and Draco's eyes widened as he shot off into the sky, black wings pushing him up.


	6. Darkness

**A/N: So I decided to give you guys another chapter today. I hope you won't mind the ending of this chap ;) I also just wrote a really fantastic part that I really like, but you guys won't get to see it for awhile :) Sorry. Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you're all enjoying this story!**

**Chapter 6: Darkness**

Draco stumbled backwards, his hand going to his mouth. He stared at Harry in shock. He shook his head, unable to believe what he had seen in the last images.

"You wanted to know," Harry reminded him.

Draco shook his head again. "No, that can't be possible. You're a wizard not whatever that was," he denied.

Harry sighed. He reached for his t-shirt and lifted it up over his head. Draco's eyes followed the movement and when his eyes settled on his stomach and chest he felt an instant shock to his system. Harry's stomach was well toned as was his chest and Draco found himself wanting to reach out and touch him to be sure that it was real. He reluctantly removed his eyes from Harry's chest and looked up into his eyes. They were unbelievably bright and he couldn't look away.

"What are you doing?" Draco stammered.

"You want proof so here it is," Harry replied. He closed his eyes for a moment and then there was a whooshing sound and Draco's eyes widened and he stumbled further back and into his wall. He sank down onto the floor and closed and opened his eyes several times. Harry had black wings behind him that were interlaced with a bright green shimmery color. "Apparently, saving someone three times triggers a gene in one's body that hasn't been triggered in hundreds of years and turns you into some dark angel who must protect that person for the rest of their life. So here I am, Draco. This is me now." Harry's wings disappeared and he slipped his shirt back on.

"I…wow. Harry, that's, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry," Draco replied.

"Don't be sorry. I am not sorry that I saved you. I am not sorry that this happened to me. I am not sorry that I am bound to protect you. All that I am sorry about is that you are in danger and all I can do is wait and try to keep you as safe as possible," Harry replied honestly.

Draco stared at him, too afraid to move. "Can you please leave?" he asked. Harry looked at him in surprise and hurt flashed through his eyes. "Not permanently!" Draco assured him. "I just, I need to think. This is a lot to process and please just leave," he continued.

Harry nodded. "Before I go, there is something significant to the memory they stole from you. An important clue," he said quietly before he disappeared.

Draco frowned at the spot that he had been. He stayed there for awhile, simply staring and processing what he had seen in Harry's kiss and what he realized was truth. Harry was no longer just a wizard. He was bound to him for life and Draco wasn't sure how he felt about that.

**XXXX**

Sometime later that day Draco had moved from his spot on the floor and attempted to make himself something to eat. He wasn't very hungry and soon left his flat to go to Diagon Alley for some shopping therapy. He had been trying to process what Harry had shown him today and processing his feelings about him. He knew that he felt something for him and had felt it for a very long time. When he thought about it he knew that for the five years that Harry was gone, he had felt like a part of him was missing. Now that Harry was back, he didn't feel as empty. He shook his head at the thought, unable to sort through it right now.

He walked into a book store without much thought. His subconscious was leading him into the dark section of the store. He wanted to find a book about what Harry had become to see what he could learn about him. He was browsing through the section when someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned to look and saw the person he assumed was working in the shop for the day.

"Mister Malfoy, anything that I can help you with today?" the man asked.

"I'm sorry, how do you know me?" Draco asked in confusion even though it was highly likely that this person knew him from the papers. He was on edge though because the man wasn't the usual person that ran the store. He was acquainted with the shop owner, not this man.

"Ah, Raider had to go out of town for a family emergency and so he called me in today. He has a binder of all his regular customers and stressed that I familiarize myself with them so that I could maintain his customer rapport while he was gone," the man explained.

Draco nodded, still suspicious. "I see. Well, I'm just looking for a book on black angels. In another book that I have, black angels were mentioned briefly and I was curious as to what they were and the significance of them," he explained smoothly.

The man nodded and tapped his chin in thought. He swished his wand for a couple of minutes and then a stack of books floated towards him. "These are all the books that have information in them about black angels. They are very rare as there are certain pieces that need to fall into place for them to come into existence. They are very exclusive. It's interesting that you would have read about them in another book considering they are so rare and kind of a taboo subject as they are associated with dark magic and such. May I ask what book you read about them in?"

Draco stared at him for a moment, keeping his indifferent mask in place. He couldn't let it slip that he hadn't read about them. He couldn't out Harry like this. He believed Harry when he said that he was there to protect him and that his life was truly in danger. "It was in a muggle novel by an American author. I found it to be interesting and I wondered if there was a basis of it in the Wizarding world. Thank you for your help, Mister-" he gave him a questioning look, thankful that he remembered that he had seen a book about fallen angels at a muggle bookstore one day and simply put the two together. He also wondered how in the world that had made it into his brain in the first place as he had barely even read the back of the book. He couldn't reveal that though so he simply stared at the man, waiting for him to tell him his name.

"Reed, sir. Well, I hope that you will find the information that you are looking for in these books here. Let me know if I can be of anymore help to you," Reed replied. He gave him a nod and walked away.

Draco watched him walk away. He turned back to the stack of books that were now settled on a table and let his mask fall for a moment as he let out a breath in relief. He started at the top with the books and started flipping through them. The first five had the same general information about black angels and the next four didn't have any information, but the last two were pretty much all about black angels. Draco looked through them and was surprised at the words that popped out at him. It was rather unnerving. He took a deep breath and took the two books that had the best information and made his way to the front to pay. He didn't see Reed anywhere which made him frown. He sighed and placed some galleons on the counter and left. He figured the guy knew his name so if he didn't pay enough, he could contact him.

He shrunk the books down and placed the books in his pocket as he started walking down the road. He pulled his coat around him more as a chilly breeze rustled around him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he wasn't sure if that was because of the chill or if he felt like someone was following him. He remembered that Harry had said that he was always watching and there, but that made him feel warm inside, not chilled to the bone like he did right now. He quickened his pace suddenly wanting to get home instead of shop.

As he was rounding the corner to the apparition point he saw someone lurking down the alleyway near him. For some reason Draco felt drawn to the figure and he felt himself turning towards the person. He wondered if maybe it was Harry staying back off the street and out of sight since whoever was following him couldn't see him. He wasn't getting a friendly vibe, but he couldn't stop himself from going down the alleyway either.

He stopped halfway there and felt his senses going into overdrive. His heart was pounding and his mind was racing, urging him to turn around and run away, far, far away. However, he couldn't move so that wasn't going to happen. He stood there panting and felt darkness envelope him, literally. It had been a pretty bright, sunny day outside, but now it looked as if it was midnight in the middle of a farm. It was pitch black. He could hear footsteps behind him or maybe it was to the side of him, he wasn't really sure. All he knew was that he was feeling very claustrophobic and scared.


	7. Get Out of My Head

**A/N: So I got some unhappy reviews in the sense that I left you guys hanging with a serious cliff hanger ;) So here is a new chapter to clear up the cliff hanger :) Also, there is some tiny smut in here and possibly another cliff hanger... :) **

**Chapter 7: Get Out of My Head**

Suddenly he felt a cold hand grip the back of his neck and he was thrown against the wall. He saw stars for a moment after his head hit the brick wall and he shook his head rapidly to clear it up. He didn't get much of a chance though because his face was pressed against the rough wall and it was cutting into his skin.

"Where is he?" a deep, angry voice asked.

Draco shook in the man's grasp, he couldn't stop himself. "Who?" he responded, his voice breaking in fear.

"You know damn well who! Where is he, Malfoy?" the man demanded again, slamming his head against the wall once more. Draco cried out in pain and tasted blood in his mouth. He knew he was asking about Harry, but no matter what, he wasn't going to give him up.

_Calm down, Draco. I'm trying to get to you. Just stay calm, please._ Draco could hear Harry's voice distinctly and he wanted to scream at him to shut up or he'd give himself away, but his mouth wouldn't work. _Draco, you can't call out to me. I hear your thoughts, so I know what you're thinking. I'm trying to break through this cloud. Hold on for me, okay?_ Draco felt this warmth burst inside of him and he relaxed in the man's hold.

"I refuse to answer your question when I have no clue who you're talking about," Draco seethed feeling stronger and less scared knowing that Harry was so close.

The man brought his fist back to punch him in the back, but was thrown away from Draco and slammed against another wall. The man let out a strangled cry as he clutched at his throat. Draco turned to watch. He did not see anyone around him, but he knew that it was Harry. He watched as the man's eyes rolled back and then he flopped to the ground, limp. Draco stared in horror at the man, knowing that he was dead.

The cloud started to clear and Harry materialized out of the black cloud and looked at Draco. His eyes were blazing bright green and Draco had to look away. He sank to the ground and Harry was instantly at his side fussing over him.

"Draco, are you okay?" he asked, his voice deeper than usual, but still tender.

Draco looked up at him and watched as his eyes started to go back to their normal shade of green. Harry was very tense. "I don't know. Is that man dead?" he asked in a weak voice.

Harry closed his eyes and shuddered. He nodded and looked up at Draco again, begging for his forgiveness before he'd even thought that there was anything to forgive. "I'm sorry, Draco. I had to. It's part of my….nature. It was the only way to keep both of us safe," Harry explained his tone begging like his eyes.

Draco waved him off even though he was still scared out of his mind and he wasn't sure that it wasn't completely just about the guy. Harry had just killed someone in front of him, albeit to protect him, them, but killed someone all the same. He could see how awful Harry felt and knew enough about him to know that the killing part of his nature was the worst part of his change. "I…" Draco took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them again to see Harry starting to slink away shamefully, but he reached out and grabbed his hand. An electric shock went through him at the touch and he felt all warm again. "It's fine. I understand and I know that you hate that part of your ….. nature. You're just not the killing type. Um, can we get out of here, please?" he responded quietly.

Harry looked at him, unsure if he was really forgiven, but nodded as he helped Draco up. Draco apparated them back to his flat and as soon as they were there, Harry went about cleaning Draco up and healing him. After giving Draco a pain potion and settling him on the couch he stepped back and was preparing to leave. "I'm going to go for a bit. I have to go talk to some people, but don't worry; you'll be perfectly safe here. I've made sure of it," Harry told him.

"Wait, don't go yet," Draco muttered. Harry scrunched his eyes up in confusion. He sat down quietly on a stool that was sitting in a corner. Draco lifted an eyebrow at him and smirked slightly at how uncomfortable he was. "Harry, I honestly am okay with what happened there. You did what you had to do, just shake it off and move on," Draco insisted, liking the sound of Harry's given name rolling off his tongue and by the blush that formed on Harry's cheeks, he liked it as well.

"I just don't want you to see me as some dark person because I am really not. I may be this dark creature or whatever, but I'm not a dark person," he said, his voice urging.

Draco started to laugh and shook his head. Harry glared at him. "Listen, you may have become this dark creature, but obviously if part of your nature is to save me, than you aren't really all that dark. I know on the inside you are as light as they come," he replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, I can do bad things too," Harry insisted. Draco started to laugh harder and shook his head. Harry glowered at him.

"I'm sorry, you're just too funny. Yes, I know you can do bad things, like forget to put your dirty dish away or clean out the shower when you get out or forget to open a door for a sweet old lady," Draco teased. He winked at Harry who was still glaring at him.

"There are other bad things I can do as well," Harry replied huskily. He lifted a brow at Draco and smirked at him. Draco blushed deeply and looked away, his stomach fluttering. Draco took a deep breath and looked back at Harry. His eyes had darkened and Draco could feel his heart racing again, but not out of fear, but out of lust and need. He had been attracted to Harry for years and now that he was tasked with saving him and looking so damn hot, he couldn't fight his attraction to him. Plus, it seemed that part of Harry's nature was to cause Draco to lust over him because he was constantly feeling like he wanted to kiss Harry as passionately as possible and throw him onto the bed and have his wicked way with him. These were the thoughts in his head of course and he didn't transfer the thoughts into action, but right now he was really feeling the need to.

He swallowed roughly, but maintained his gaze on Harry. "Like what?" he asked, his voice a bit sharper and higher-pitched then he would have liked.

Harry grinned and stood up from the stool. He started towards Draco, his gaze smoldering. Draco wriggled on the couch under his heated gaze and watched him with bated breath. Once Harry reached him, he placed his hands on Draco's face, cradling it. He ran his thumb across his lips and smiled. He leaned down and carefully pressed his lips to Draco's instantly taking both their breaths away.

Draco thought that he might be able to see into Harry's mind again like before and that he would learn more about what had happened to him, but he found that he was blocked. He was a bit frustrated at first, but then Harry changed the pressure of their kiss and he instantly forgot. He became completely entranced by the feel of Harry's lips on his own. He could feel the electricity coursing through his veins. He reached his arms out and around Harry's waist, pulling him towards him and into his lap.

Harry moaned as he straddled Draco and their groins met. They were both hard and began moving against each other to relieve some of the pressure. The feeling was unbelievable. Draco was so lost in the moment that he barely felt Harry tense above him. When he noticed, he thought he was tensing because he was going to come, but then he groaned in pain and clutched at his head. He slid off of Draco and started moving away from him. Draco stared at him in confusion and concern.

"Harry, what is the matter?" he asked nervously.

"Alright, I got it. Geez, just get out of my head," Harry mumbled.

Draco's eyes widened. "Harry, what the hell is going on?"

Harry looked up at him then and his eyes were nearly black. Draco cringed at the sight and pushed into the couch, wrapping his arms around his knees. Harry shook his head and his eyes cleared up and turned back to their normal shade of green. "I have to go. I…I'll see you later," Harry responded quickly. He walked over to Draco and stopped in front of him. Draco looked up at him, his body shaking in fear. Harry reached out as Draco cringed and turned away at the same time. Harry's eyes widened and then a look of hurt crossed his face before he quickly kissed the top of Draco's head and left without another word. He disappeared as he always did.

Draco sat there for several minutes breathing in and out, trying to decipher what had just happened between them. It was all going so well and then it turned bad so quickly. "What the hell happened to him?"


	8. Oh, I Understand

**A/N: So this is super short, but when I was writing the story, this was a good place to stop. The next few chapters will be similar in length. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, but I'm afraid you're going to have even more questions after this... So sorry about that. It will be cleared up soon enough though ;)**

**Chapter 8: Oh, I Understand**

"Why did you get into my head and stop me?" Harry demanded loudly. He was standing in a forest, the very forest from the memory that he showed Draco. He was standing in the middle of a clearing facing a semi-circle of darkly clothed people with hoods over their heads and casting dark shadows across their faces.

"You cannot fall in love nor be with someone you are protecting," the leader in the middle explained to him.

"Why not? Why can't I care about him and protect him the same?" Harry demanded.

"It will not end well for you. You need to keep Draco safe. You know that he is important-" the man continued.

"He's important to me! Our lives have been interwoven for years! You can't just tell me to not have feelings for the guy especially when I am drawn to him so strongly!" Harry cut the man off angrily.

Although Harry could not see his face, he knew that he was narrowing his gaze at him and knew that he had his full attention. "How can you be drawn to him? That is not a part of your nature," the man questioned harshly.

Harry threw his hands up. He could feel his wings pushing against the protective barrier that he kept around them. He removed the barrier and allowed his wings to burst out of the back of his shirt to unfurl and rustle angrily in the breeze that they had created. He heard a collective gasp amongst the people that were sitting in the semi-circle. "I don't know, alright! I just know that I feel this need to touch him and be close to him and be around him all the time. I know I'm supposed to watch him and protect him and all of that, but this is different. It's not just to the point of protecting him for the sole purpose of keeping him safe. I am protecting him because I can't be without him," Harry responded heatedly.

A murmur began amongst the members of the council. Someone towards the end spoke up, a woman. "He needs to know," she said to the leader.

"But it's not possible. This has never happened before. It can't be," he muttered.

Harry flapped his wings in agitation. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

"Harry, we need to talk about this more without you here. Until we summon you again, you need to be more careful around Draco. We don't know what will happen if you continue down the path you are heading with him. You are to protect him and that is it. Do you understand me?" the man responded calmly.

Harry stared at him. He narrowed his gaze, openly showing his defiance to his orders. "Oh, I understand, but it doesn't mean I'm going to listen," he replied. He heard another collective gasp as he wrapped his wings around himself and disappeared.


	9. Some Death Eaters Are Released

**A/N: Another short chapter for you with some more mystery. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 9: Some Death Eaters Are Released**

Draco was walking out of his kitchen with a cup of tea in his hands. He was hoping that the tea would calm his unsteady nerves. He had a lot of conflicting thoughts about what had happened between him and Harry. As he started towards the couch, there was a knock at his door. He frowned and glanced over his shoulder at the door, debating about whether or not he should answer it. He sighed and set his tea down on a table and walked over to the door. He looked out the peephole and frowned further.

"What brings you here?" he asked as he stepped to the side and allowed the person in.

"Well, you wanted to know if I heard anything and I have," Theo responded as the door shut behind him.

Draco instantly felt cold and felt a knot begin to form in his belly. He gestured for the sofa and Theo nodded as he walked over and took a seat. Draco went into the kitchen and poured another cup of tea for Theo and sat down across from him in an easy chair. "What did you find out?" he asked in a weak voice.

Theo looked at him in concern and noticed the fading bruises on his forehead as well as the healing fat lip. His eyes widened in a panic. "What the hell happened to you?" he demanded.

Draco waved him off. "Later. I want to know what you've found out," he replied.

Theo frowned at him, but decided to let it be for the moment. "They've released some former Death Eaters recently, within the last month," he began.

Draco shrugged. "Everyone knows that in this circle. I'm not sure how that's anything new," he replied unsurely.

Theo huffed and continued. "Among them are Blaise and Greg," he said.

Draco stared at him for a moment, about to wave this off as well as nothing major, but then he glanced over at his shelf and at the place that he kept his memories. He stood up and walked over to them. He touched the spot where the missing vial belonged and gulped. "What do you think that means?"

Theo stood as well and walked over, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder. "I don't know, mate, but I don't think it's a coincidence," he replied as he gestured with his other hand at the empty spot.

Draco shook for a brief moment before he took a deep breath and shook his head. He walked back over to the seat and grabbed his cup of tea. He pulled his knees up beneath him and stared across the room at nothing. "Harry has been tasked with protecting me," he muttered.

Theo looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Tasked?" he questioned in confusion.

"Yeah, tasked. Maybe he'll tell you some day. He kissed me you know? We started to make out and then he stopped and clutched his head, started talking to himself," Draco replied absently still continuing to stare at the wall across the room.

Theo lifted an eyebrow again and sat down on the couch again. "Alright, well, the kissing and making out is good, right?" he asked unsurely.

Draco grinned dumbly. "Yeah, it was brilliant," he said dreamily.

Theo nodded. There was another knock at the door which did not draw Draco's attention at first. Theo cleared his throat and Draco finally looked over at him. He heard the knock again and he looked over at the door in confusion. He stood and walked over to the door. When he looked through the peephole he sighed quietly before he opened the door. Theo watched as arms wrapped around Draco's waist, which momentarily caused Theo to reach for his wand and leap up off the couch to come to his friend's aid until he saw Draco melt into the embrace and saw the spiky black hair over the top of Draco's head as the person leaned forward and captured Draco's lips in a passionate and very private kiss. Theo's eyes widened at the sight and he quickly backpedalled to the fireplace and flooed away.


	10. Come Stay With Me

**A/N: So this is another short chapter. However, chapter 11 is longer and is much more interesting, but this chapter is important too. I'm probably up through Chapter 15 in writing and still moving along nicely. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Come Stay With Me**

Harry pushed against Draco to get them both inside the house and kicked the door shut behind them. Only then did he break away from Draco and lean back against the door. Draco stood there with his eyes closed breathing heavily. He slowly opened them and looked at Harry who was looking back at him with his bright green eyes, but they seemed different, more defiant.

"I'm sorry. I just, I had to kiss you again. I'm sorry about earlier too," Harry whispered.

Draco stared at him, his brain still muddled by the kiss. He shook his head to clear it and took a deep breath before responding. "Yeah, um, don't be sorry. What did happen earlier?" he said quietly.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and walked into the sitting room. He sank down into the couch and rubbed his face. "So with my 'kind' we have a sort of governing council or something like that. It's ridiculous, but anyway, they can get into your head and most of the time it's helpful, but in situations like the one we were in, not so helpful. I couldn't continue with them in my head," Harry replied.

"I don't understand why they'd want to interfere. I mean your ultimate mission is to protect me, right? Why can't you have a little fun along the way?" Draco asked with a chuckle.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "It's complicated, but I am going to ignore it. I'm not going to let them decide who I can care about and who I can't. I have always been drawn to you, but now, it's so much more and so different. It isn't just about protecting you anymore. If I could just figure out who is after you," Harry explained.

"Well, I might be able to help you there," Draco replied as he sat down next to him, turning his body towards him. Harry responded without thought and turned to face him as well, their knees touching. Draco blushed at the contact and sighed inwardly. _If touching knees gets me all flustered, what the hell would happen if we went further than we did earlier? Pull it together, Draco. _He thought with annoyance.

"You're not the only one flustered," Harry muttered. Draco looked up at him with wide eyes. Harry blushed slightly and glanced away before he spoke again. "Did you find out something that might explain who's after you?" Harry asked.

Draco stared at him, annoyed that he brushed off the fact that he had just read his mind. He decided to table it for now, but he was definitely not letting it go. "I asked Theo if he had heard anything and at the time I asked, he hadn't. He came by after you left and told me that they had released some former Death Eaters," Draco responded.

Harry growled at this news. Draco saw his eyes darken slightly. The look made his stomach flop a little in uneasiness and when Harry spoke, his voice was very calm and even. "Who did they release?" he questioned.

Draco gulped before responding. "They released Blaise and Greg," he replied quietly.

Harry looked up at him in confusion. "Why does that matter? Those two weren't really as involved as other people. If it were their parents I'd be more concerned. I don't understand," he said unsurely.

"Well, that's what I thought at first, but then I know what memory they took," Draco commented. Harry looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "They took the memory from the Room of Requirement. The one where Crabbe died and you saved me," he continued.

Harry furrowed his brows in concentration as he processed what Draco was saying, looking for the significance of this memory. "Did you put in the whole memory?" he asked.

Draco blushed deeply and shook his head. "I liked the part where you saved me, so I kept that in my memories," he replied shyly.

Harry grinned and blushed a little as well. "Well, I'm not sure what is so important about that memory and what they have to do with-" he stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, realization setting in. He stood up and walked over to the window, looking out across the yard into the distance. He saw movement across the street and set himself instantly on alert. Draco watched him from the couch and saw the change, saw his shoulders tense. "How close were Crabbe, Zabini, and Goyle?" he asked absently.

Draco frowned. He knew that Harry had his eye set on someone and he hoped that he was keeping himself hidden or something since he was standing in front of the window that had a lightly colored curtain on it that anyone could see through easily.

"I don't really know. I mean how close are Slytherins really? It's in our nature or a part of our inner self to be independent and rely on no one, but ourselves and to only be out for ourselves and no one else. I know Vince and Greg were very close, like brothers. Zabini, I don't know, he was always pretty quiet. I don't really see him playing a hand in this, and I'm not even sure Greg is smart enough to pull something off like this and even then, why would he? What happened to Vince was an accident. He was an idiot to use _Fiendfyre _in the freaking Room of Requirement in the first place. I mean, it's interesting that I'm in danger so soon after them getting out, but I don't get why I would be," Draco explained.

Harry stepped away from the window and walked over to Draco. He kept an ear trained at the door. His eyes were still a dark, unsettling shade of green. "Hmmm, you're right, that doesn't make sense. Draco, come stay with me," Harry requested, looking up at Draco.

Draco's eyebrows lifted to his hairline, his mouth dropping open in surprise. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "Um, why?" he asked, his voice higher than he would have liked.

Harry gestured for him to follow him over to the window. He ran his hands in the space in front of him and pointed out the window. Draco looked at him nervously and then looked out the window. It was unmistakable. There were two poorly disillusioned people across the street, heads towards Draco's flat. He reached out blindly to Harry and he grabbed his hand and linked their fingers. Harry squeezed his hand reassuringly and flexed his free hand into a fist.

"When do we leave?" he asked in a small, scared voice.

"Pack some stuff and we'll go now. I'll set up some wards to both protect your home while you're gone and make it seem like you're still here," Harry replied calmly.


	11. That Never Happens

**A/N: So this is the chapter I mentioned I really liked before. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you so much for all your reviews! **

**Chapter 11: That Never Happens**

Draco nodded numbly and disappeared down the hall and into his room. Harry looked around the flat once and then out the window once again. He watched the two people for a moment longer, trying to catch a glimpse of their faces, but he was having no luck. He waved his hands quickly, casting the spells that he told Draco he would and then walked over to his fireplace. He heard Draco close his bedroom door and turned to watch him make his way towards him. He was very pale and looked to be on complete edge. Harry didn't blame him at all.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked quietly. Draco nodded wordlessly and stepped over to the fireplace. He reached up to a little pot on the mantle and took out some floo powder. He tossed it into the fireplace and it came to life. Harry watched him for a moment and reached for his hand again as they both stepped into the fireplace. He shouted their destination and they felt the pull of the floo and soon tumbled out of Harry's fireplace. Harry immediately jumped up and cut the floo connection. Draco was standing in the middle of his sparse living room looking around.

"Not much here, is there," he commented absently.

Harry took Draco's bag and headed out of the room and down the hall. "To be honest, you're the first person that has ever been here. I have been here ever since I left," he called to him from the hallway. Draco frowned as he followed behind him. He glanced out the window and saw the London skyline. He glanced back to where Harry was, his eyes questioning. _Harry had been so close this entire time_, Draco thought.

"You weren't too far, were you?" Draco asked as he walked into what he assumed was Harry's bedroom.

Harry didn't look up from where he was pulling out some blankets and extra pillows. "No," was all he said in response.

"Harry, is there more to what's going on then just someone coming after me?" Draco asked as he settled on the bed. He turned to look at Harry willing him to look at him.

Harry sighed and looked over at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "If there is, I'm not privy to that information," he replied.

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "I am so tired of not getting straight answers from you," he said tiredly.

Harry huffed angrily. "Well, I am so sorry that I am not a wealth of information. It's better to keep some things from you to keep you safe anyway," he replied heatedly.

Draco stood up and stomped his foot like a petulant child. "I am so tired of this keeping me safe bull shit! I'm a big boy! I can protect myself!" Draco cried angrily. Tears were pricking the corners of his eyes. Harry saw them and he felt a tug on his heart as he moved quickly and pulled Draco into his arms. Draco was shaking hard and he began sobbing. Harry said nothing and only rubbed his hand up and down Draco's back in soothing motions.

After several minutes of Draco crying and Harry saying nothing, Draco stilled and was only sniffling now. He stepped back, but Harry did not remove his arms from around him. He moved them to his hips and looked down at him. He brought a hand up and brushed a stray tear from Draco's cheeks. Draco looked up at him and blushed slightly.

"Sorry, I guess I'm not as strong as I thought," he whispered.

Harry shook his head and cradled Draco's face in his hands. "You're very strong, Draco. You are holding it together a lot better than most people I know could. I know you're scared and I know you are worried. I also know that I will do my best to protect you even though you can protect yourself," he replied quietly. He gave him a small smile before he kissed him lightly.

"But you said I couldn't protect myself before," Draco pointed out sounding still a bit sore.

Harry blushed. "I may have exaggerated some, but that doesn't mean that you can do this all by yourself. If you could, I wouldn't be here right now," he pointed out.

Draco smiled slightly at him and nodded. "You're probably right. Listen, I'm pretty beat. Can I take these pillows and blankets out to the sofa?"

Harry looked over at the pile. "Actually, those are for me. You will sleep in here. It's more comfortable." He kissed Draco once more on the cheek and walked over to pick up the pillow and blankets. He started for the door, but stopped to turn and look at Draco.

"Harry, I don't want you to give up your bed. I don't mind sleeping on the sofa," Draco insisted.

Harry shook his head and smiled. "No, you will sleep there. Besides, I don't sleep much anymore. I can't get settled down enough. Sleep well," he replied. He smiled once more and left the room. Draco watched after him and listened to his steps pad down the hallway. He sighed and reached for his overnight bag and took out some pajamas. He was exhausted, but it felt good to cry and have Harry hold him. Somehow he knew that Harry was right and with that thought in mind he got ready for bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow and he settled into the bed, he was asleep.

Harry sat on the couch, the blanket and pillows still in a nice pile next to him. He leaned back, placed his arm over his eyes, and closed them. He felt like there was so much that he didn't know and he hated it.

"Harry, I need a word," a woman's voice said into Harry's mind. He groaned and tried to ignore it. "Stop ignoring me young man. This is important. It's in regards to Draco," she replied in an annoyed tone.

Harry moved his arm and stood up. He waved his hand in the direction of his room and faced his living room. "What do you want?" he demanded.

A woman materialized near the front door. She walked in and removed her hood. Harry had seen her before and each time he was caught off guard momentarily at her beauty. She was very fair skinned with dark brown hair that was nearly black. Her hair went to her waist and fell in gentle waves. It was very common for the people in his new kind to be very beautiful. It was part of their allure.

"Harry, I know that you are angry with us and I know that we are keeping things from you. I also know that I am risking disciplinary action by being here, but I believe that there are things you should know," she explained.

Harry stared at her for several seconds. He sighed and gestured to his sofa. "Have a seat. Would you like some tea?" he asked. She nodded and he disappeared into the kitchen to get some tea. He returned a few moments later with two cups. He set one down in front of the woman and then took a seat across from her. She sipped her tea carefully and then looked up at him.

"You had mentioned before that you felt a pull to Draco and that you felt that there is more than just protecting him. You are right. What is happening between you and Draco goes deeper than just protecting him. It has never happened in our society," she explained.

Harry lifted an eyebrow at her statement. "Okay, tell me something I don't know," he replied almost in a biting tone.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him. Harry could feel the dark part of her nature coming to the surface. He sank back slightly away from her. It disappeared nearly as quickly as it came though and she smoothed her robe carefully. "You and Draco had bonded before you became one of us. That doesn't happen in our society. Yes, by saving him three times it turned you into this, but the truth is that doesn't play a factor in you being tasked to protect him. There are circumstances in our society where we are given a mate and it is usually someone that is a part of our kind, but that is not true in your case either. Draco is your mate and that is why he is so important to you and you are so drawn to him," she explained.

Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "You can't be serious, Arabella," he questioned.

She nodded. "Draco is your mate. You have a wizard for your mate and that never happens. A mate is either someone from our kind or a mortal or as you call them, muggles. Draco does not have any creature blood in him that we are aware of. He is simply a wizard and he is your mate," Arabella continued.

Harry blinked slowly. "And that plays a factor how? That shouldn't matter. Actually, it should make me want to protect him even more since he is my mate," he responded.

Arabella nodded, but then she frowned. "This is where it gets tricky. Once you have completed your task, you can never see them again. It will be as if you do not exist anymore. He will move on with his life and yours will be cut short because without your mate, you are nothing anymore. You will die," she said quietly.

Harry stared at her. His heart was racing now and his brow was sweaty. "But, I thought it was protecting them for life. That was how I understood it," he questioned.

Arabella shook her head. "Alador was incorrect. You have that one task and that's it. Unless you are needed by that person again, you will do what needs to be done and then you will never see them again."

"So what you're telling me is that I won't be protecting him for the rest of his life and he is my mate and once I'm finished I will no longer be able to be with him and he will move on and I will die?" he questioned.

Arabella nodded. "I'm sorry, Harry. I wish there was something else that's more positive that I could tell you, but there isn't. I don't know how to get around it either. I'm sorry," she whispered.

Harry nodded. "Thank you for telling me. Did you all know before I was given this task?" he asked quietly.

Arabella shook her head. She stood and walked over to him and placed a hand at his cheek. "We did not know before you were given the task. If we had, we would have done something different. However, you're lucky to have the time that you do with him. Many of us do not get the opportunity," she told him kindly before she disappeared right in front of him.

Harry stared at the empty place in front of him. He sighed as he stood up. He walked down the hallway to his room. He pushed the door open and peeked in on Draco. He looked so angelic and beautiful in sleep. Harry smiled fondly at him. Harry stepped into the room with a wave of his hand as the lights in the living room went out and the silence bubble that surrounded the area around Draco dissipated. He lifted his shirt over his head and undid his pants while he slipped out of his shoes and socks. He took his pants off and walked over to his dresser and quietly removed a pair of pajama bottoms. He put them on and quietly padded over to his bed. He lifted the blankets and slid in next to Draco. He draped an arm across his waist and molded his body against Draco. He nuzzled into his neck and took a deep breath.

"You're my mate Draco and after this is all over, we won't be able to be together. I'm sorry for that," he whispered. He kissed the back of Draco's neck and closed his eyes. As he drifted off to sleep, Draco opened his eyes and a few tears escaped. He settled his hand onto Harry's and linked their fingers together. He closed his eyes again and snuggled into Harry's warmth.


	12. I Can't Remember

**A/N: Another chapter for you. It's kinda short, but still a good chapter of course. I'm in the process of writing the ending. There will be some fun stuff first, but the end is near :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: I Can't Remember**

Draco awoke the next morning feeling deliciously warm. He snuggled into the warmth and sighed. His eyes flew open wide and he tensed as he looked down at the tan arm that was draped across his waist. He let his senses out and felt a hardness against his backside. His mouth dropped open in surprise as last night returned to his mind. He remembered coming to Harry's and breaking down in front of him. He remembered going to sleep and waking up to Harry saying something to him that at the time made him tear up, but at this moment he couldn't remember what it was that Harry had said. He moved experimentally in Harry's hold and brushed against his morning arousal. He bit his lip as his stomach fluttered nervously at the thought of what was against him.

Harry whimpered in his sleep and pushed against Draco's arse which caused Draco to nearly yip loudly in surprise. He knew that if he stayed put that he couldn't guarantee that he would stay clothed and not wanting Harry to make him his.

He started to slide out of bed carefully not wanting to disturb Harry, but Harry's arm tightened around him and he froze in place. "Where do you think you're going?" Harry asked huskily.

Draco nearly melted at the sound of his voice. "I, uh, was going to, um…" Draco trailed off unsure of what he was going to say.

"I'd love to make you mine," Harry murmured cheekily.

Draco's eyes widened and he whipped around in Harry's hold and faced him. Harry looked up at him with his sleepy green eyes and smirked at him. "How dare you read my mind!" he exclaimed not really angry, more embarrassed.

Harry started to laugh. "Draco, you were practically screaming it. It was hard not to listen. I'd gladly make you mine, but shouldn't we, I don't know, make out first? Maybe a blow job or two?" he suggested, his tone teasing yet serious.

Draco blushed deeply. He looked away, his eye lashes fluttering against his cheeks. "Well, I suppose that would make sense. Maybe we should eat breakfast first though," he replied nervously.

Harry smiled and leaned up and kissed Draco lightly on the lips. "What would you like?" he asked sweetly.

Draco lifted an eyebrow at him in question, unsure if he was teasing him or not. "How about pancakes?" he suggested.

Harry grinned. "A man after my own heart. I've died and gone to heaven," he responded as he threw the covers off of himself and got out of bed. "Pancakes it is." Draco watched Harry stretch. His mouth watered at the sight. He couldn't help, but notice the way his back muscles moved. He could tell that Harry's wings were flexing as well.

"Harry, do you ever let your wings be unshielded? Doesn't the charm you have on them make them confined?" he asked curiously.

Harry turned to look at him thoughtfully. "When I'm at home their usually unbound, but when I sleep I put the charm on. It doesn't bother them. Technically we have to keep them shielded especially in public. Do you want me to take the bind off?" he asked.

Draco's eyes widened slightly and he nodded. Harry returned the nod and closed his eyes. His wings materialized behind him and fluttered slightly in the breeze. Draco watched them in awe. "They are beautiful. Can I touch them?" he asked, his hand reaching out without waiting for an answer.

Harry nodded and he turned slightly for Draco to touch them. Draco touched them gently. They moved through his fingers like silk and the feathers seemed to respond to him. He glanced over at Harry whose eyes were closed and he had a serene look on his face. Draco looked at him curiously and watched him shudder. Draco removed his hand, wondering if he was doing something that was bothering Harry. Harry's eyes flew open and they were very bright. He blinked a few times and they returned to their normal color.

"Did I hurt you?" Draco asked unsurely.

Harry shook his head. "No, definitely not. That felt… I felt that deep within me. It was like… wow, it is true," he said as if he were thinking aloud.

Draco stared at him. His mind racing as he tried to figure out what he was talking about. "So it felt good?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, it did. I'm going to go make that breakfast," Harry said. He kissed Draco once again and walked out of the room, shirtless and gorgeous, wings fluttering behind him.

Draco followed him out and sat down at the table in his small dining area and watched Harry prepare breakfast. He could see a smile lifting at the corners of his mouth, but he noticed sadness in his eyes. He didn't understand why he would be sad. He thought back to what Harry had said earlier, about how he felt when Draco touched his wings. He said 'it is true' like there was something that Harry knew that he wasn't telling Draco even though Draco felt like he already knew. What was it?

"Harry?" Draco called to him. Harry turned slightly to him and said, 'hmm?' Draco bit his lip before responding. "Did something happen last night after I went to sleep? I feel like I know something, but I can't remember it right now," he asked, confusion in his voice.

He watched Harry tense slightly, but it was gone almost as soon as it popped up. He turned to him, stirring the batter for the pancakes. "Somebody from my kind came to talk with me after you went to sleep," he replied.

Draco frowned. "Okay… so did they tell you to come sleep with me?" he asked curiously.

Harry blushed deeply which warmed Draco. "I, uh, well I felt like being close to you," he responded, blushing further before turning back around and beginning to place the pancakes in a pan.

Draco grinned despite still being sure that Harry wasn't telling him the complete truth, but like everything else that Harry kept from him; he didn't push the matter, at least this time anyway. He sighed and waited patiently as Harry finished making their breakfast. Once it was ready and there was a steaming pile of fluffy pancakes in front of him, he completely forgot that Harry was not telling him everything. He dove into the pancakes, savoring the slight taste of vanilla. He grinned and looked over at Harry who was watching him, a tender look on his face. Draco blushed.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked nervously, squirming in his seat.

Harry shrugged. "You're beautiful. Why not stare?"

Draco blushed deeper and looked away from Harry's heated gaze. He swallowed before speaking again, changing the subject. "I've got to go into work today. Shouldn't I be relatively safe there?" he asked.

Harry looked at him thoughtfully. He nodded slightly. "Yes, I think so. I'll be close anyway, so everything should be fine," he replied.

Draco nodded. He took the last bite of his food and stood. "Alright, then I need to get ready for work," he said. He shifted uncomfortably as Harry continued to gaze at him in a way that made Draco's insides flip flop. Harry nodded. Draco turned around quickly and walked back into Harry's room, feeling Harry's burning gaze on his back all the way there.


	13. We're Mates

**A/N: So I decided to post another chapter because I'm nearly done with the story and I just wrote a brilliant part of the story AND I wrote what I think is a good twist :) Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit emotional and we see a bit of the mate bond between Harry and Draco, but not too much. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 13: We're Mates**

Draco arrived at work with Harry accompanying him, his features disguised. Draco glanced over at him, trying not to make it obvious that he knew that Harry was who he was. He had told him not to acknowledge him as they walked into the lift. They were both just ministry employees who happened to be getting into a lift together, just like everyone else.

When they arrived at Draco's floor, they both got off and travelled in opposite directions. Harry went off towards Hermione's office and Draco went off to his own. He glanced back at Harry's retreating form. He saw Harry glance over his shoulder at him and give him a small smile which he returned. Neither man saw the person who was sitting in the small waiting area look at the two and have a look of recognition cross their face.

**XXXX**

"Come in!" Hermione called at the tap at her office door. The door opened and a man she didn't recognize walked into her office, closing the door behind him. She looked at the man curiously, fingering her wand. She watched as his features changed and her best friend appeared before her. She sighed loudly, hand at her heart. "Harry! You scared me," she scolded him as she walked over to him and hugged him, her hands brushing his wings. She pulled back in shock and looked curiously at him. He looked away and walked over to her enchanted window and smiled at the beach view.

"Great view you have here. I'm sorry for scaring you. I have to be careful," he said as he turned back to look at her.

Hermione crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze at him. "Harry, what is going on with you? I know you're keeping something from me and I don't like it," she questioned.

Harry walked over to her. "I am Hermione and I've wanted to tell you, but I didn't think I should or could, but I don't care anymore. I need your help and I need to tell you what's happened to me," he told her sincerely.

Hermione cocked her head to the side and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Harry, now you're scaring me in a different way," she said carefully.

Harry nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment and the shield around his wings dropped. Hermione gasped and scrambled back. Her back hit the wall next to the door, her hand moving to her mouth. "Harry?" she asked in a weak voice. "What happened to you?"

Harry's wings folded behind him and he sighed. He ran a hand through his hair before responding. "Apparently there is some gene in my family tree and it is triggered when you save someone three times. I turned into this and I've got new powers and my Wizarding powers have been enhanced. I was tasked with protecting Draco because he's in danger and once the danger is eliminated, I will be gone again," he explained.

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, but you've saved several people more than three times. What makes Draco so special that saving him three times is what triggered this gene?" she questioned.

Harry looked back at her. He furrowed his brow in thought. It hadn't been specifically addressed as to why Draco was the one to cause him to change, but knowing now what he did about him, it was obvious. Harry looked up, tears at the corners of his eyes. "Because he's my mate. That's why he was the one to trigger the change," he replied.

Hermione's eyes widened. "And that saddens you?" she asked unsurely.

Harry chuckled. "No, not in the sense that you're thinking anyway. I'm glad he's my mate. Draco is very charismatic and he's gorgeous, but he's also funny and considerate and a damn good kisser. What makes me so sad and angry is that when this is over, we won't be able to be together," he replied a tear trailing down his cheek.

"I don't understand. Why can't you be together?" she questioned.

"Part of our nature or our duty is that when we are tasked with protecting someone, we can't see them again after it is over. Now for most of my kind that doesn't matter because they have no real connection to them. In my case, Draco is my mate, but because of what is expected of me, we can't see each other again," Harry explained.

"When have you ever followed everything that's expected of you to a T?" Hermione asked, her tone teasing.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "True, but there's more to it," he continued. Hermione looked at him, concern evident in her features because she could see how distressed Harry was. "Since I can't be with Draco after this is all over, I won't survive much longer after. We can't live without our mate in my kind. So thus why I need your help. Help me find the loop hole. Help me find a way that I can be with Draco once this is all over," Harry begged.

Hermione watched him, tears in her eyes at the prospect of her best friend truly being gone. "Harry, does Draco know that he's your mate? Does he feel the same about this as you do? Does he even know what you've become?" she asked the questions that she had been wondering throughout his explanation.

Harry shifted nervously and blushed. "He knows what I am. I've shown him, but, well, I sort of told him last night, but he was asleep, so I guess technically he doesn't know that he's my mate," he responded.

Hermione nodded. "Do you know if Draco has to accept that he's your mate before the bond actually solidifies and once this is over he moves on and you die?" she choked on the last word, unable to wrap her head around this new development. Her best friend becoming a creature and having Draco Malfoy as his mate is something she can handle, but knowing that he could die, is a whole other thing that she was not willing to deal with.

Harry thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think that plays a factor. I'm guessing I should probably talk to him about this, eh?" he asked with a slight smile.

Hermione smiled as well. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. In the mean time, I'll try and find some loop hole for you. I'm not about to lose you for good," Hermione assured him.

Harry nodded and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Hermione's fingers brushed Harry's wings and she felt a feeling like an electric shock zap through her system. She let out a yelp and stepped back shaking her hand. Harry looked at her sheepishly and put the shield around his wings at about the same time that Hermione's door flew open and an irate Draco Malfoy was storming into her office, his glare leveled at Hermione. Her eyes widened in shock at the look he was giving her and Harry's eyes were wide with shock at how quickly Draco appeared and how angry he looked. He grinned inwardly at how strong the bond was already between them if Hermione simply brushed his wings and Draco reacted this way.

"How dare you Granger!" Draco hollered angrily. Hermione looked rather affronted and put her hands on her hips angrily.

Harry reached out and placed a hand on Draco's arm. The response was instantaneous and Draco was soothed. He shook his head and blinked several times before looking around Hermione's office and looking at Hermione and Harry. "Um, hello Hermione, Harry, how did I get here?" he asked in confusion as he looked around again and thought deeply.

Hermione glanced at Harry with a narrowed gaze. "I'll leave you two to talk in my office," she said before she moved past Draco with a slight glare and walked out of her office, slamming the door behind her. Harry waved his hand at the door locking it and silencing the area around it. He chuckled as he gestured for Draco to have a seat on the couch. He sat, still looking very confused.

"Draco, we need to talk," Harry began nervously.

Draco stared at him, his stomach quivering slightly. "Obviously," he responded as he gestured at the door in reference to Hermione storming out.

"Draco, not only am I your protector, but I am something else to you. Something that doesn't happen in this way in my kind," Harry continued. Draco looked at him expectantly. "You're my mate," Harry finished deciding to bite the bullet and just come out and tell him what he was.

Draco's eyes widened in surprise. Then he started to shake his head laughing. "Really, Potter. You are too funny. That is ridiculous," he responded, dismissing his declaration.

Harry wasn't laughing. He was glaring at Draco now. Draco stopped laughing and squirmed under his gaze. "You are my mate, Draco. I wouldn't make something like this up. You're my mate, and after all this is over we won't be able to be together," Harry insisted, his words similar to those he said the night before.

Draco stared at him as his words sounded so familiar. It hit him quickly as he realized that he remembered what Harry had said to him the night before when he had crawled into bed next to him and wrapped him in his warmth. Draco looked up, tears in his eyes. "You told me that last night. I knew there was something that you had said to me that I couldn't remember until just now. I'm your mate. That explains so much more now," Draco responded. Harry nodded. Draco looked back at him again, confusion in his face this time. "What do you mean we can't be together after this is over?"

Harry sighed. He walked over and sat down next to Draco. He faced him, their knees touching and as usual Draco could feel the shock between them whenever they touched. It intensified when Harry reached out and took his hands in his. "Last night, a woman named Arabella came to see me. She's from my kind and she's sympathetic to my need to know what they aren't telling me. She told me that you were my mate and she said that it never happens that the one we are supposed to be protecting turns out to be our mate. The reason is because once we are finished protecting them, we go our separate ways. It doesn't matter much in all other instances, but in our own, it matters a whole hell of a lot," Harry explained.

"I thought you were protecting me for life?" Draco asked.

Harry growled in anger. "No, they were wrong. I am only protecting you for now until this threat is over and then I move on and you move on," Harry replied angrily.

"But I'm your mate, surely you'd be able to stick around, I mean what will happen when we go our separate ways?" Draco asked, still confused.

Harry looked away, tears gathering in his eyes again. "You'll go on with your life as if this was just a blip in your path of life where as I will eventually die because I can't be with you," he explained.

Draco's bottom lip quivered and his eyes were looking a bit moist. "You'll die?" he asked in a small voice. Harry nodded. Draco bit his lip. He let out a little squeak before he placed himself in Harry's lap and wrapped his arms around him. Harry held Draco close and let his tears fall. He was pretty sure that there was no question that Draco was fine with being his mate. Now to make the best out of the time they had left and to eliminate the threat that was after Draco no matter how much Harry didn't want to let the time they had together go.


	14. The Loo

**A/N: So my big exciting end is taking longer than expected, but that's okay. It needs to be exciting, right? The major thing has occurred and now I have to write the ending. Oh dear... Enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 14: The Loo**

Harry left Draco sometime later with a promise that tonight was going to be very special. He cast a protection spell around Draco as well as an alert in case something happened while he wasn't there. Draco decided to bring some work into Hermione's office and work in there so that he was at least in the company of someone else. He didn't think anyone would come after him in the ministry, but stranger things have happened.

Hermione and Draco worked silently in her office. Hermione was working on something that she wouldn't tell Draco what it was about. He had apologized for his reaction to her earlier and she waved it off as if it didn't matter, but he had a feeling that she was still a bit sore.

Around noon, Theo walked into Hermione's office and kissed her. Draco cleared his throat and Theo startled as he turned to look at Draco. He blushed deeply. "What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"He figured that even though Harry cast some protection and alarm spells on him that safety in numbers was a good idea," Hermione told him.

Theo nodded. "I see. Well, love, would you like to go to lunch?" he asked Hermione.

"Well, gosh, Theo, that is so sweet of you to ask. I'd love to come, cupcake," Draco teased.

Theo chuckled and shook his head. "Would you like to come, Draco?"

"Why, yes. I'm so glad that you asked," Hermione responded in a deep voice. Theo looked over at her as she and Draco started laughing. Theo rolled his eyes and headed for the door. Hermione and Draco stood up quickly and started following after him, shouting apologies for joking around. Theo just laughed and waved it off as well.

They left the ministry and walked down to a café that wasn't far from there. Draco was laughing and enjoying spending time with his friends so he didn't notice that they were being followed. He didn't notice the two men that sat at the counter in the café they went to, across from the booth that he had sat at with Hermione and Theo. He hadn't noticed that they were watching him intently yet either. He also didn't notice that they followed him towards the loo when Draco got up to go in there.

Draco walked into the loo and over to the sink. He washed his hands and washed his face. While he was wiping his face off, he felt like someone was directly behind him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Hello, Draco," an Italian accented voice drawled.

Draco turned around slowly. He tried to not show how tense and nervous he was to the person behind him. His eyes settled on a gaunt looking Blaise Zabini. His time in Azkaban had not been good to him. He looked awful and looked much older than he actually was. The Dementors had long since been banished from Azkaban so it didn't make sense on why he looked so awful unless he exchanged his soul with the devil. "Blaise, how nice to see you," Draco drawled in return.

Blaise stepped closer to Draco so that he was now pressed against the sink. Draco's fingers twitched for his wand. Blaise saw the gesture and immediately thrust his hand out and gripped his wrist tightly. "Come now, love, there is no need for dramatics. We're just going to have a conversation. It has been such a long time," Blaise told him in a sickly, sweet voice.

Draco stared at him. His wrist was burning in his grip. He was holding on very tightly, cutting off the circulation. "It doesn't feel much like a conversation when you're gripping my wrist like you are," Draco bit out.

Blaise narrowed his gaze at him. "You are in no position to be calling the shots and giving attitude, now are you?" he asked as he stepped back, Draco's wand in hand and pointed at his chest.

Draco frowned at him, keeping his indifferent mask in place while his insides were screaming in fear. "I suppose not. Now what kind of conversation do we need to be having right now?" he asked his voice careful.

"Well, it seems that you've gotten away with murder essentially because Harry Potter used his name to keep you out of Azkaban. Frankly, I find that to be completely wrong. You should have been in there with Greg and me for all the things that you did during the war. You should not have been allowed to stay out and roam freely while we wasted away in that godforsaken place!" Blaise yelled angrily. Draco's wand was spitting out sparks in Blaise's rant.

Draco stared at him, silently begging for Theo to realize he's been gone for too long and to come in and help him out. "If you may recall, I was on house arrest for three years. I couldn't exactly roam freely around London or go wherever the hell I wanted. You and Greg did far more horrible things than I did. The worst I did was _almost _kill Dumbledore and even that I didn't do nor did I want to. I didn't want the mark in the first place either unlike you and Greg!" Draco yelled back.

Blaise narrowed his gaze. "How dare you assume that I wanted the mark? That isn't even the point. You got away with barely any punishment. Oo, so you were stuck in your house for three years where you were waited on hand and foot by your elves and you could sleep in your own bed and at least go outside on your property. Do you want to know where I slept, Draco? I slept on a metal framed bed that was attached to the wall. The mattress was hard as a rock and as thin as cardboard. I was served some slop twice a day. I shared a loo with twenty other blokes. I went outside for an hour twice a week. Could you handle that? Could you survive with those living conditions and not be the way I am now?" he demanded.

Draco gulped. "I'm sorry. Is that what you want me to say? I'm sorry that you had to live in those conditions and that I didn't? I'm sorry that you didn't have the guts to walk away and say fuck you, Voldemort? What do you want me to say, Blaise?"

Blaise brought his fist back and flung it at Draco. Luckily, Draco was expecting it and he ducked and sucker punched Blaise into the stomach. Blaise doubled over and backed up against the wall, Draco's wand clattering to the ground. Draco scrambled for his wand. Blaise brought his leg out, tripping Draco. He slid across the linoleum and hit the wall across the way. His head swam momentarily. He shook it quickly to clear it. He looked over his shoulder at Blaise who was scrambling over to him. Draco lifted his wand, a curse on the tip of his tongue.

"Where is Potter? He needs to pay for what I had to suffer through in Azkaban because without him, you would have been right there with me," Blaise growled as he continued to scramble towards Draco.

Draco fumbled with the curse at Blaise questioning where Harry was. Blaise had reached him and was now clawing at his shirt, pulling him up to his face. "I don't know where Potter is," Draco choked out, his voice quivering in fear.

Blaise brought his fist back to punch Draco across the face. Draco brought his arm up and blocked the punch. "Dammit, Draco! You know where he is! I know you've been spending time with him!" Blaise yelled.

Draco's eyes widened momentarily, giving away that he had been in fact seeing Harry quite frequently. "Leave Potter out of this," Draco demanded.

The door to the loo banged open and Draco caught sight of Theo rushing into the bathroom, Hermione not far behind him. Blaise seized above him and collapsed on the other side of him. Draco scrambled away from him as Hermione bound Blaise and Theo hauled him up. A couple of Aurors came in and took Blaise out with them, but not before he sent a venomous glare at Draco. "You're dead, Malfoy," he promised. Draco believed him.

"Draco, are you alright?" Hermione asked as she came over to him, fussing over him. Draco waved her off even though he was shaking profusely.

"Its fine, Hermione. What took you guys so long?" Draco sort of joked.

"There was a barrier or something around the loo. We didn't see anyone follow you in there and we figured since we were in such a public place that if anyone wanted to harm you, this wasn't the place to do it. After a couple of minutes we were getting concerned that you weren't coming out yet. Theo tried to go and check on you, but he couldn't get past a certain point so we knew that something was going on. We tried to disassemble the barrier without drawing attention to ourselves when Harry came in, disguised of course. He destroyed the barrier and disappeared while we came in and well, you know the rest," Hermione explained.

Draco's eyes widened. "Harry was here?"

Theo nodded. "He's probably outside in the alleyway pacing in worry over you," he replied with a sly grin.

Draco blushed and walked past them and out of the loo. He walked out of the café and turned into the alleyway. He stepped into the alleyway while Theo stood at the entrance. He waved his wand casting a barrier that would block the two out of view from anyone who was watching.

As soon as the barrier was up, Draco was being lifted off the ground and wrapped into a tight hug, Harry's face buried in his neck. He felt Harry kiss his neck several times before he put him down and looked him over. "Draco, are you alright?" he asked worriedly. His hands were roaming all over his body checking for injuries. Draco slapped his hands away with a blush.

"You should see the other guy," he joked.

Harry's eyes darkened. "I did and Zabini is damn lucky he was surrounded by Aurors," Harry seethed.

"I'm physically fine, Harry. Mentally and emotionally, that's a different story" he replied. Draco rested his hands against Harry's chest, his hands fingering the buttons of Harry's shirt.

"What happened?" Harry asked evenly. Draco looked up into his eyes and opened his mind. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he hoped that Harry could see exactly what had happened. He didn't feel ready to voice it. The fighting Draco could handle, but the words and accusations and the questions about where Harry was, were too much.

He watched Harry and knew that he was seeing everything that happened in the loo. His eyes were darkening rapidly and Draco could see his body tensing. He knew with each passing scene in his head that Harry was getting angrier and angrier. Once Draco was done showing him what happened, Harry stepped away from him.

"I want you to stay right here. Do not move," Harry said his tone icy and furious. Draco was about to respond, but Harry was already gone.


	15. Sucks to Be You Blaise

**A/N: So I thought I'd post this for you guys since I know many of you are wondering what happened when Harry left... Hope you enjoy! **

**Chapter 15: Sucks to Be You Blaise…**

Blaise was thrown to the ground in a holding cell. He heard the door slam behind him. He groaned as he picked himself up off the ground and started moving towards the bed in the corner. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness by now and as he looked up at the bed, he saw that he wasn't alone. He gulped as he realized who was sitting on the bed.

"Zabini, I understand you're looking for me," Harry said from the darkness, his eyes shining brightly and the only part of his body that was visible.

Blaise pulled himself up to his full height, but he knew that it would help very little because Harry's presence was very overwhelming. "Yes, I have been," Blaise responded, his voice higher than he would have liked.

"Well, I'm here. What's the problem?" Harry questioned.

Blaise thought that maybe trying to find Harry Potter wasn't the brightest idea. He had obviously changed a great deal and Blaise was smart enough to feel the strong magic and aura that was surrounding Harry. However, he was here now and there was no sense in backing down now when he had the opportunity to even the score. "I knew that Draco was seeing you. Gods, he has had a hard on for you for years. I am surprised to see that you return his affections considering how much you hated him and what he stood for in school. I was telling Greg the other day all about how I knew you guys were together. He was quite curious about you two, like overly curious. Anyway, I don't think its right that you used your name to keep Draco out of Azkaban while the rest of us had to suffer. He was just as guilty as we were!" Blaise shouted at the end.

Harry moved from the bed and was now standing in front of Blaise, eyes blazing. Blaise slinked back. "My relationship with Draco is none of your damn business or Goyle's. When you two share a cell again you can tell him that. As far as guilt goes, Draco may have done some things that weren't right, but at least he had a conscious unlike most of you Slytherins. I saw him sixth year when he was dealing with the task of killing Dumbledore. He didn't want to do it. He hated the fact that he was being forced to do it. If that had been given to you or Goyle or Crabbe, you would have done it like you were killing a fly. Draco served his time and you need to get over it," Harry responded in an even, dark tone.

Blaise stared at him. He knew that he had made a huge mistake, especially by threatening Draco. "You think you know him. You don't, Potter. He has got you wrapped around his little finger. He is lying to you. He knew what he was doing. He was fine with it. I thought you were bright, boy that was a myth," Blaise replied, his voice shaking.

Harry smiled. The smile was a dangerous one. Blaise had stepped far over the line. He stepped back from Blaise. He closed his eyes, gathering up all the magic that was around him. He thought of the spell that he wanted to cast. He kept it at the forefront of his mind. "You will never come near Draco again. You will never speak his name again. You will spend the rest of your life trapped inside your own mind. You crossed the line. You should have stayed away. Now you will pay. _Confundere animum aeternum_," Harry hissed.

Blaise watched in slow motion it seemed as he had his last clear thought before the spell hit him. Then he began to scream.

**XXXX**

Harry reappeared in front of Draco. He had been gone for maybe five minutes at the most. He looked pleased and that scared Draco. "Where did you go?"

"I had to take care of a little problem," Harry responded with a wave.

Draco stared at him. He walked over to him quickly, gripped his face in his hands and kissed him deeply. Harry let out a squeak of surprise and then he knew why Draco had surprised him with a kiss. Before he could put a wall up to block what happened with Blaise, Draco had seen it. He stepped back and looked at Harry, his expression thoughtful.

"You knew even then that I didn't want to do it?" he asked in a quiet voice. Harry nodded. Draco smiled. "Thank you, Harry. That means a lot, truly," he continued.

Harry nodded. Then he narrowed his gaze at him. "That was very sneaky of you," he pointed out.

"Slytherin," Draco replied with a shrug. Harry chuckled and reached over and pulled Draco towards him. He enveloped him in a hug and held him close. He leaned back and leant forward to press a kiss to his lips.

"I'm glad you're alright. Now I want you to come with me. I want to spoil you this evening," Harry said as he broke their kiss.

Draco grinned. "Spoil me? Harry Potter is going to spoil me tonight? How could I say no to that?"

"I wouldn't let you," Harry responded in a serious tone and then he grinned broadly which made Draco smile more. He kissed Draco once more and then called out to Theo. "Have a good night and thanks, Theo," Harry called out before he apparated himself and Draco away.


	16. A Bear Skin Rug

**A/N: I giggled to myself at how this chapter ends. I'm sure you'll all just love me after this chapter :) I have written the ending and it shall be coming up soon enough. It's not what I expected and I'm not sure what I think about that... Enjoy! Oh and I realized as I reread this chapter that I wrote what the cabin looks like just like the beach house in my story _Never Give Up Hope on the One You Love_. Guess that means I really like it :)  
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**Chapter 16: A Bear Skin Rug**

Harry and Draco arrived in the middle of some woods. Draco glanced around as a chilly wind whirled around him. He shrank back closer to Harry. "Where are we?" he asked, his teeth chattering.

Harry chuckled as he waved his hand at him and watched as Draco stopped shaking with the warming charm that surrounded him. "Well, we are in the woods," Harry responded as he gestured around.

Draco looked over at him with a 'no really' look. "I had gathered that," he replied.

Harry laughed. He gestured for him to follow and they started moving through the woods. They were on a small pathway that was cut into the woods around them. The leaves were beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. The air smelled crisp and as he looked over at Harry, he could see the relaxed look in his face and shoulders. He smiled knowing that being in this environment was calming to Harry. He wondered if it was related to his new kind or if it was rooted more deeply. "You seem very calm being in these woods," Draco commented quietly.

Harry glanced over at him and smiled. "It reminds me of when Hermione and I were camping out in our hunt for the Horcruxes. Although that time was frightening, it was also fun being with her here. We made some fond memories during that time. Plus, my kind likes the woods. It's where they normally reside," he replied.

Draco felt a bit of jealousy rise at Harry's comment about 'fond memories.' "So you two like, you know?" he asked unable to completely hide his jealous tone.

Harry looked over at him and busted up laughing. He had to stop walking, he was laughing so hard. Draco glared at him and placed his hands on his hips. "Sorry, um no, that most definitely didn't happen. She was in love with Ron and I was still sort of into Ginny. Definitely didn't happen," he reiterated.

"What did happen with her and Weasley anyway? She never told me and Theo won't tell me either. As a matter of fact, what happened with the Weaslette?" Draco asked. He had always wondered what had happened because he knew that Theo and Hermione didn't even look at each other once during school.

Harry frowned slightly as he thought about it. "Well, everything fell apart shortly before I left. It was about a month or so after I spoke at your hearing. Ginny couldn't forgive me for that and Ron was pretty angry with me too, but me defending you kind of ended things for Ginny and I. As far as Ron and Hermione went, I don't really know. They completely fizzled after I left. Maybe part of it dealt with me leaving, but I also think they were beginning to drift apart before I left anyway. Maybe you should ask her?" Harry suggested.

They had started walking again. "Harry, did you know that you were attracted to guys in school?" Draco asked nervously.

Harry coughed at this question. Draco's eyes darted over to him as he blushed. Harry ran a hand through his hair. He cleared his throat. "Well, I didn't really think of guys or girls too much. I was kind of busy defeating a dark wizard. Of all the guys at our school, the only one I was ever drawn to was you. I had to know where you were at all times and what you were doing. I thought about you constantly. Now at the time it wasn't good things about you like how devilishly handsome you are or anything like that, but I still thought about you all the time," Harry replied.

"Oh, come on, I know you noticed how sexy I was. I mean really, who wouldn't?" Draco joked.

"I also thought about how smug and stuck-up you were," Harry teased.

Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. He was about to respond when Harry stopped and looked ahead of them. He looked up and saw a beautiful cabin a few yards ahead of them. It was two stories with the whole front covered with windows aside from the front door. He could see the inside and saw rustic furniture and a balcony that showed the hallway of the second floor. He saw the fire that was burning in the stone fireplace. He felt the chill of the wind rush around him again through the warming charm and he looked up to see storm clouds moving across the sky. It looked like it was going to snow. He looked back at the cabin and smiled. It was perfect.

"Wow, this is beautiful," Draco whispered.

Harry smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Come inside," he replied. Draco nodded and followed Harry the rest of the way to the cabin and followed him inside. He was instantly enveloped in warmth and he immediately moved over to the fireplace. It had a classic bearskin rug in front of it that made Draco think very naughty thoughts about Harry. He blushed as he glanced over at him. He was placing a couple of bags on the floor and smirking. He really hoped that he hadn't just heard his thoughts again. He watched him for a moment longer to see if he would acknowledge it, but he didn't. Draco looked away from him and looked around the room. He saw several framed photographs. Most included Harry with Hermione and Ron as well as some of Sirius and Harry's parents and other friends from Hogwarts. Draco looked around as he realized that this was where Harry had truly been living. It was much homier than his house outside of London.

"You've been living here?" Draco questioned. Harry looked over at him and nodded. "But you said that you've been in that house near London this entire time," Draco pointed out.

"I did say that. I've been living between here and there. This is my home, my permanent home. The house near London is where I went when I wanted to be closer to everyone that still lives there. I know it's ridiculous, but it made sense to me," Harry explained.

"It makes sense. I can see why you've made this your permanent home even if your kind lives in the forests," Draco replied.

"Yeah, it's peaceful out here. Are you hungry?" he asked.

Draco nodded as he walked over to stand in front of the fireplace. Harry brought him some tea and took his sweater jacket off for him. He placed it in a hall closet. Draco watched as Harry removed his own sweater jacket and his wings appeared from their barrier. Harry had toed off his shoes and placed them in the closet as well. Draco grinned as he noticed that his socks were red. He looked so at ease and his skin had a golden glow to it. Again, he wasn't sure if it was because of his kind or something else, but either way, all that mattered was that Harry was happy here.

Draco sat down on the bear skin rug and brushed his fingers against the fur. It was very soft. An image of Harry above him while he lied naked on the rug popped into his head and he blushed deeply as he heard Harry drop a dish in the kitchen. "Alright in there?" Draco called out.

Harry cleared his throat. "Yep, just lost my grip on it," he called back in a higher pitched voice than usual.

Draco chuckled to himself knowing exactly why Harry had dropped the dish. Sometimes he liked that Harry could see and hear his thoughts. It made it possible for him to enjoy a favorite pastime of his in regards to Harry.

About thirty minutes later, Draco was joined on the carpet by Harry and two plates full of food. Harry had made roast chicken, red potatoes, and some vegetables. He had some dinner rolls floating behind him. He settled them on the floor in front of them and handed Draco his plate. The scents of the food were mouth watering.

"Wow, Harry, this smells fantastic," Draco complimented as he took a deep breath in, relishing in the food.

"Eh, it was pretty easy to make. I had to cook for my relatives when I was growing up so by the time I didn't have to cook for them anymore I hated it, but then being out here, I started cooking again and I found that I really enjoyed it. I couldn't really do much else as I was going through the changes and training and all of that so I cooked and read. It worked for me," Harry explained. He took a bite of his food and watched Draco as he took a bite of his own food. The smile that crossed Draco's face was enough to see that he thought the meal was delicious as well.

They ate their meals in companionable silence, stealing glances at one another. Once they had finished and the plates were put away, they returned to sitting in front of the fireplace. Harry stared into the flames, his knees pulled up and his arms wrapped around his knees. His expression was thoughtful, but sad. Draco frowned. He reached out and placed his hand on Harry's arm.

"Draco, how do you feel about being my mate?" Harry asked quietly. Draco tensed at the question, his hand gripping his arm. He loosened his grip. "I mean, I know it won't really matter for long, but I've been back a short amount of time and I've turned your life upside down. I've kissed you several times without asking. I've put your life in unnecessary danger and you're my mate. It's a lot to take in," he continued quietly.

Draco wasn't sure what to say. Harry was right, his life had been turned upside down, but it was Harry, the only bloke who had ever driven him so crazy that he couldn't stop thinking about him. He had always thought about Harry even after school had been over. He couldn't stop. He had no response to him. He was more than okay with being his mate, with his life being turned upside down and definitely okay with Harry kissing him without his permission.

He moved up onto his knees and moved closer to Harry. Harry turned to look up at him, his eyes reflecting the fire. Harry turned his body towards Draco without thought and Draco reached out and cupped Harry's face in his hands. His eyes closed as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Harry's softly. Harry reached out and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist pulling him against him. Their heads tilted to the sides as their kiss deepened. Draco slid his fingers into Harry's hair, fulfilling a childhood curiosity at how exactly Harry's mess of a hair felt. He was pleased to find that it was soft and smooth. Draco slid one hand out of his hair and down his neck and to his back where his fingers caressed one of his wings. Harry stilled momentarily and broke their kiss. Draco's eyes opened and widened as he watched Harry's eyes darken and a lustful look cross through them.

Harry growled and crushed his lips to Draco's. Out of surprise, Draco fell backwards, Harry collapsing on top of him. Draco shifted his body, pushing his hips up towards Harry's, their groins touching. They both moaned at the contact. Draco broke away from their kiss, tipping his head back. Harry planted his lips to his neck and kissed a path from one side to the other. Draco sighed at the contact and shifted his hips again. His cock was getting harder by the second and he could feel Harry hardening as well. Harry groaned as he sat back, straddling Draco's legs. He put his hands at the hem of Draco's shirt and pulled it up and over his head. He stared down at Draco's pale, bare chest and let his fingers glide across his chest. Draco's eyes fluttered closed at the contact. Harry smiled as he leaned down and pressed gentle kisses down Draco's chest, carefully avoiding his nipples thus driving Draco crazy at the teasing.

Draco reached out to grab for Harry's shirt and watched with hungry eyes as he slowly lifted it over Harry's head, exposing his taut stomach and chiseled chest. Harry's wings fluttered behind him as he moved forward to settle over Draco again. When their chests touched they both sighed at the skin to skin contact.

"We may not have much time to be together, but I'm not about to let that interfere with the time we do have," Harry said in a husky voice.

"Me either," Draco replied in a shaky voice, knowing that they were promising each other something in those simple words.

Harry smiled at him and dipped his head down to kiss him again. They moved against one another and explored each others bodies intimately. Harry broke their kiss again and began kissing down his chest once more. He sat back as he reached the top of Draco's pants. He stared down and bit his lip nervously as he began to slide the belt out of the buckle. As he was reaching for the button of Draco's pants, the fire flickered to a green color and he could hear someone calling his name.


	17. Bad News and Some Love

**A/N: Since I left you all saying such things as cockblock, glaring, WHAT, and interrupted again, I figured I'd post this chapter for you. I finished this story last night so I should be posting the rest this week. I've got to tweak some parts, but other than that it's complete. Enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 17: Bad News and Some Love**

"Harry! Are you there? It's important!" Hermione called from the flames.

Harry looked over at the fireplace with wide eyes as Draco popped up onto his elbows and looked over his face turning red. He could see Hermione looking around. Harry scrambled off of Draco's lap and over to the fireplace. "What is it, Hermione?" he asked, his tone annoyed.

"May I come through?" she asked, her tone affronted.

Harry glanced back at Draco. He shrugged his shoulders. "She says it's important," Draco pointed out.

Harry nodded and sighed. "Yes, come through," he muttered. He stood up and helped Draco up as well. He crossed his arms over his chest as Hermione stepped through. She looked at the two and blushed deeply.

She cast her eyes downward. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but it really is important," she apologized. Harry's look softened and he gestured for the sofa. She shook her head though and stayed where she was. "Harry, I have some information for you about what you asked me earlier today," she continued.

Harry's expression changed immediately. He looked somber. Draco looked between the two confused. "What did you ask her about?" he questioned.

Hermione frowned and a sad look crossed her face. Harry frowned further and glanced over at Draco who was looked more confused. He looked up at Harry in question, his eyes looking for an answer. Harry sighed and looked down at the ground in front of him. "I asked her to see if she could find a way to get around our predicament," Harry replied quietly.

Draco's eyes widened and he looked over at Hermione. "What did you find?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head and tears formed at the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't find anything. All I found was what you told me would happen. I found several accounts of other creature bonds that have tried to find a way around this, but they never worked. I found nothing about your kind. I'm so sorry. I wish I had better news," she responded, a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

Harry hung his head and placed his hands over his face. Draco felt his lip begin to quiver and his nose tingle. He looked over at Harry and waited for him to move his hands. When he did, his eyes were glistening, but his expression was hard. He looked at Hermione who took a step back. "Thank you. I appreciate you trying. If you'll excuse us though," he replied calmly.

Hermione stared at him for a moment, unsure of what she should do. She nodded though and looked between the two once more before she turned towards the fireplace, throwing in some floo powder and flooing away. Harry stood there for a moment biting his lip. Draco watched him unsurely. Finally, Harry lifted his head and slowly turned to look at Draco whom shifted uneasily beneath his gaze.

Harry walked towards him, his gaze heated. Draco felt his stomach quiver in anticipation as Harry reached out and pulled Draco towards him. His lips pressed against his in a heated kiss and his tongue slid across Draco's lips asking for entrance which he gladly allowed. Harry's hands slid down to Draco's button of his pants. He quickly undid it as well as his zipper and slid his pants down Draco's legs. He looked down with yearning at the sight of the bulge that was prominent within his boxer briefs. Draco reached out and fumbled with Harry's pants as well, his mind muddled with passion and need. He was able to remove Harry's pants as well, but struggled much more than Harry had. They stood there in their boxer briefs, staring at each other. Harry placed his hands at the band of his underwear and slowly slid them down his hips and thighs. Draco watched hungrily, his mouth watering when Harry's full arousal slipped from its confines. As Harry stepped out of them, Draco was struck by how gorgeous he truly was wings and all.

"You are stunning," he whispered as he looked Harry slowly up and down, taking in every last bit of him. He reached for his own underwear with shaky hands and began pulling them down as slowly as Harry had done. His mind was suddenly filled with all the lustful thoughts and images that were flitting around Harry's mind. He smirked as he watched Harry squirm and his cock harden even further at the sight of a now naked Draco.

Harry gulped as he stared at him. They may not have much time, but he knew that when he died, he would have this masterpiece at the forefront of his thoughts and he would be happy. "Merlin, you are gorgeous," Harry muttered in a deep, lustful voice.

They watched each other a moment longer before they both stepped forward and wrapped their arms around each other and began kissing again. Harry pushed Draco to the bear skin rug and settled himself over him, skin against skin. As soon as their aching cocks touched they both let out lustful moans and began moving against one another in earnest. Their kisses became frantic and then Harry began kissing a trail down Draco's neck and down his chest, flicking his tongue against his nipples which caused Draco to arch his back and push himself more against Harry. They both groaned at the contact and as Draco watched Harry move down, his stomach began fluttering because he knew where Harry was heading and as soon as Harry engulfed his cock into his mouth, shock waves erupted through him. He literally saw stars and his fingers dug into the soft fur of the bear skin.

Harry moved his mouth up and down expertly, sucking gently, and lapping at his leaking head. He removed him from his mouth which Draco nearly protested before Harry moved to his balls and licked them as well. Draco cried out in pleasure at the contact and nearly died when Harry's fingers began massaging his balls as his mouth returned to Draco's cock and began moving up and down once again. He was squirming beneath him, fighting coming and he was successful until Harry's fingers slipped to his entrance and he felt wetness as Harry had cast a silent lubrication charm. His hips jerked thus nearly gagging Harry, but Harry simply placed his free hand on Draco's thigh to keep him in place as he carefully slipped one finger into his entrance and continued to move his mouth up and down Draco's cock.

Harry continued sucking him and fingering him and Draco was losing control fast. Soon Harry felt Draco's cock pulsing in his mouth and then the salty sweetness of Draco shot into his mouth and he swallowed quickly as he listened to Draco calling his name and crying out in pleasure. He continued moving his fingers in and out of him and did not stop when Draco was done coming. He simply licked him clean and leaned back, smiling at him.

Draco's face was red and sweat was forming on his brow. Harry stopped his finger fucking for a moment as he repositioned himself next to Draco. He leaned over to kiss him as he re-entered him to continue fingering him. Draco kissed him back greedily, tasting himself on Harry's tongue. He could feel himself responding again and then Harry moved his fingers just so and his body jolted with desire. Harry smiled against his lips and moved to straddle him once again.

"Draco, I want to make you mine, if you'll let me," he whispered huskily.

Draco looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes. "Please do," he responded breathlessly. Harry smiled lovingly at him as he situated himself at Draco's entrance. He had removed his fingers and had wrapped his hand around his leaking cock as he lubricated it. He lifted Draco's hips off the ground and placed his calves against his shoulders. He summoned a pillow and placed it underneath Draco's hips. He looked at Draco to check that he was ready for him and received a nod in return. Harry bit his lip in concentration as he slowly began entering Draco's prepared entrance. He watched Draco's expressions carefully and stopped when he saw any sign of pain or discomfort. He waited until Draco urged him forward. He began pushing forward again and then when he felt himself passing that last ring and he was fully sheathed he let out a shuddering groan as Draco tensed around him, getting used to the intrusion.

"Are you okay, love?" Harry asked as he moved his hands up and down Draco's thighs in soothing motions. Draco nodded and opened his eyes to watch Harry as he began to slowly move in and out of him. Harry was shaking in an effort to control himself. He didn't want to come too soon and leave Draco unsatisfied.

"Faster," Draco ordered which Harry couldn't help, but grin at. He began moving faster and as he shifted to get more comfortable, Draco cried out in pleasure which only interfered with Harry trying to not come. However, as soon as he had hit Draco's pleasure spot, he continued to hit it over and over again and soon Draco was tensing around him and coming, crying out Harry's name once again. Harry couldn't hold it any longer and hot come began spurting into Draco as he pumped into him. He cried out Draco's name as emotions flared within him.

He suddenly felt this burning feeling coursing through his veins. His whole body tensed and his eyes flew open, showing the brightest green that Draco had ever seen. Draco stared into his eyes and then he too felt the burning sensation go through him. He cried out and clutched onto Harry's arms. Draco's body tensed as well and soon they both had a golden glow around them. Draco's eyes widened and Harry stared on as Draco's eyes brightened into molten silver. Even if they wanted to they couldn't look away. Something was happening to them. Something had been triggered when they had made love because that's what it was. They hadn't said the words yet, but they knew it was true. They loved each other and they both knew that they would do anything for the other person.


	18. A Surprising Twist

**A/N: I had planned to have this up last night, but I forgot before I went to bed, but it's here now. You'll love me after this chapter :)**

**Chapter 18: A Surprising Twist**

Arabella gasped loudly and her eyes flew open. She sat up and looked around; wondering what had awoken her from a deep sleep. The room was dark and as she let her senses out, she felt nothing. She got up from her bed and walked over to the window. She looked off towards the north and closed her eyes. Then she saw what caused her to awaken so abruptly. She smiled and quickly turned from the window. She grabbed her robe on the way out and left her room. She made her way through the mansion that she shared with several other unmated black angels. She was heading straight to Alador to tell him what she had seen. When she arrived at his door she began knocking loudly on his door. After a few moments, he opened it and was looking at her as if he already knew what she was doing here.

"They've bonded, Alador. You said that their bond would never work and that they would never get to this point, but you were wrong. Harry and Draco have completed their bond and are fully mated now. You said that could never happen with our kind, but it has. Maybe now, they will have hope of being together after the threat against Draco is over," Arabella told him.

Alador stared at her with a narrowed gaze. "So they've bonded, it won't change the outcome. Once Draco is saved, Harry will die. That's it, end of story. Their bond won't matter," he responded in a heated tone.

Arabella stared at him, realization setting in. "You want Harry dead," she said quietly.

Alador laughed. "Please, Arabella, I couldn't possibly want something like that," he replied. Arabella shook her head. She knew that he was lying. Alador wanted Harry dead and she wondered if he was behind the threat against Draco. No, she didn't wonder, she knew. She stepped back from him, shaking her head. He stepped towards her. She turned and began running back towards her room, her mind racing. She had to tell Harry that Alador was behind everything.

She reached her bedroom and pulled open the door. She could hear Alador running behind her, closing in. She slammed her door closed, locking it. She took several deep breaths before she concentrated on her destination. She knew that Alador could follow her easily and she also knew that Alador could find Harry just as easily, but she hoped that she'd have enough of a head start that she could warn Harry before Alador arrived. She wrapped her arms around herself and disappeared. She caught a glimpse of her door opening and quickly waved her hand to at least delay Alador enough.

**XXXX**

Harry collapsed on top of Draco after the burning feeling left his body and he was no longer tense. His body ached and from the groan beneath him, Draco was aching as well. He rolled off of him, but wrapped an arm around him, pulling him against his body. He buried his face in Draco's hair and kissed the top of his head.

"I hope that doesn't happen every time," Draco murmured. His head was resting on Harry's chest and not only was Harry's arm around him, but one of his wings had wrapped around him as well. It felt wonderful.

Harry chuckled. "I think that happened because we completed our bond. We are now complete mates," he responded. His fingers were brushing against Draco's shoulder in a gentle pattern. Draco sighed in content. "Draco, I probably should have said this before we did what we did, but I don't think I had realized it completely," Harry continued. Draco tipped his head up so he could look at him. He gazed up at him with curious eyes. Harry stared at him, his eyes welling up with tears. He brought his hand up and cupped Draco's cheek. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you," he whispered as he leaned back from their kiss. His eyes expressing his love just as much as his words.

Draco's eyes widened in surprise and then he grinned broadly as he wrapped his arms around Harry in a hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear those words. I love you too," he responded tearfully as he leaned up and kissed Harry deeply. They kissed for several moments before they broke apart to catch their breath.

"Let's go to bed," Harry said. Draco nodded and started to get up. He stood up and helped Harry up as well. The fire had died in the fireplace and all that was left were embers. Draco looked out the window and saw snow covering the ground and more continuing to fall. He walked over to the window to look out and was smiling. Harry walked over and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist. With the darkness of the room behind them, it made the snow look bright and beautiful.

"It's so beautiful," Draco said wistfully. Harry pressed a kiss to his shoulder and nuzzled his neck as he looked out. That's when his eyes caught sight of a figure at the edge of the woods. He stared hard at it, letting he senses out. It was someone from his kind and he knew that it was Arabella. He could also sense that she was very upset.

"Draco, love, why don't you go get settled in bed and I'll bring us up some hot chocolate?" Harry offered, his eyes never leaving Arabella's figure. He knew that she wouldn't be able to see them at this moment since Harry had blocked the windows from view.

Draco picked up on the change in Harry's tone. He turned to look at him in concern. "What is it?" he asked. Harry looked away from Arabella for a moment and into the deep pools of gray.

"Arabella is outside and she's upset. I need to go speak with her," Harry replied as he turned and walked over to his clothes slipping them back on quickly. Draco did the same and looked over at Harry nervously.

"What do you think she's upset about?" he asked, his voice quivering.

"I don't know, but it can't be good if she's out here at this time of night," Harry replied. He walked over to the closet and put on his coat. "Please stay inside," Harry ordered as he started for the door.

"Harry, wait!" Draco called. Harry stopped and looked at him. "Please be careful," he said quietly. Harry nodded as he opened the door and walked out closing the door behind him. Draco went over to it quickly and locked it. He stepped towards the window to look out. He saw Harry making his way across the yard, his footsteps appearing in the snow.

He saw him approach Arabella and he could see just how frantic and upset she was. She was gesturing madly with her hands and Harry kept looking back at the cabin looking fearful. Draco felt his stomach turning and his heart racing. Something wasn't right. He scanned the area around them, trying to figure out what was setting him off. He saw nothing, but then when he looked back at Harry and Arabella they were both crouching and looking off into the forest.

**XXXX**

"Harry, I am so sorry. I had to come and tell you something very important," Arabella called to him as he made his way across the yard.

"What is it?" he asked as he stopped in front of her.

"It's Alador. He's behind this threat against Draco. He wants you dead. I don't know why he does, but it's true. He knew that you and Draco were mates and he knew that you could only protect him this one time and that once it was all over you would die. He planned this all!" Arabella cried waving her hands frantically.

Harry looked at her in confusion. "Why on earth would he want me dead? What threat am I to him?" Harry questioned in confusion.

"I don't know. I saw that you and Draco had completed your bond and so I went to tell him that he was wrong once again and then while I was talking to him, I figured it out. The way he was acting seemed so absurd. He's behind this," she responded quickly.

Harry felt the wards around his home changing and knew that someone was trying to breach the perimeter. "He's here," he muttered as he crouched down. Arabella followed suit and looked around. "He's not alone," he continued.

Harry and Arabella looked around through the forest, extending out their senses. As they were scanning the area, Harry heard a sound behind him. When he turned his head, he heard Draco scream his name. His eyes landed on the bank of windows and saw Draco standing in his living room, Alador standing behind him, arm around Draco's neck.


	19. Watch Out!

**A/N: Alright, so here's this chapter. I guess this would be the climax because it's all down hill from here. Just to clarify, Alador is the head black angel of Harry's kind. He shows up when Harry is called back to the forest after he was making out with Draco. Hope you enjoy! Only a couple of chapters left!**

**Chapter 19: Watch Out!**

Harry saw red and stood quickly and began running towards the cabin. Arabella was screaming at him to stop, but he couldn't. Draco was in trouble. When he reached the cabin, he burst through his door, but Draco was no longer there. He turned to go back outside, but the door slammed shut in front of him. He tried in vain to open it, but it wouldn't open. He looked out the windows and saw Draco in the clearing, facing Goyle. Alador was nowhere to be seen. Harry watched in horror as Goyle advanced quickly on Draco who had slipped in the snow as he was stumbling backwards. Goyle leapt at him and began throwing punches. Harry could feel his anger boiling over and he let out a battle cry and the whole bank of windows burst from their panes. Harry vanished his jacket and shirt and let his wings go as he flew out of the cabin and straight at Goyle. He hit Goyle squarely and sent him flying across the yard.

Harry landed next to Draco and was instantly pulling him up. "Are you okay?" he asked as he checked him over.

"I'm fine. He didn't get me very much. What the hell does he want?" Draco demanded. He was angry now and was standing, glaring over at Goyle.

Goyle groaned and rolled over. He pulled himself up and looked over at Draco with blank eyes. "Revenge for Vince of course," he said as he spat out blood.

Draco threw his hands up. "Oh, for crying out loud! I didn't kill Vince! He killed himself. How many times do I have to explain this?" Draco demanded angrily.

"You didn't even try to save him!" Goyle yelled back.

Draco leveled him with a serious look. "If I could have saved him I would have, but it was too late. We were trying to climb out of there and he lost his footing. He was too far behind me for me to grab him and Harry hadn't even come back for us yet. Why are you still holding a grudge when it's nobody's fault, but Vince's?" Draco questioned his tone exasperated.

Harry was half listening to Draco and scanning the area for Alador. Arabella was standing nearby as well doing the same as Harry. "Vince was like my brother! Losing him was hard enough, but having to spend years in Azkaban where as you were able to roam freely, now that's not justice at all!" he cried.

Harry turned his glare on Goyle. "Draco served his time. He did not commit the crimes that you did. Draco didn't want to commit the ones he did in the first place. Get over it already. You've served your time, you're out now, so go have a life!" he yelled.

Goyle was standing now and making his way towards them. "Have a life now? What kind of life, Potter? I'm a felon. I can't do anything. My family is either dead or gone. My friends are straight or dead or driven mad by you. There is nothing for me to do or be and it's all because of you and Draco!" Goyle screamed.

Harry glared at Goyle. "No, Goyle, it is because of you that you have the life you do now. You didn't have to do what Voldemort said. You didn't have to commit all the crimes you did. That's on you and no one else. Don't go blaming me or Draco for what you did yourself," he responded evenly.

Goyle narrowed his gaze and let out an angry yell as he rushed Harry. Harry pushed Draco back as he braced for Goyle's hit. He took the hit, using Goyle's momentum to grab him and throw him across the yard once again. Goyle hit the ground with a thundering thump and slid a few feet. Harry lifted his hand and sent a hex at Goyle. He had another one ready when Draco screamed.

"Harry! Look out!" he yelled. Harry turned to look over at him and then up as he senses felt someone coming towards him from above. Alador was flying at him, fist raised. Harry's eyes widened and he hesitated for just a moment, but he leapt up to fly away, but Alador was quick. He reached out and grabbed Harry's wing, stopping him from flying off. Harry fell to the ground with a hard thud. Draco gasped from his spot a few yards away.

Harry sat up and shook his head to clear it. Alador was advancing on Draco and Arabella. They both scrambled back. Draco reached for his wand and raised it at Alador. He called out _stupefy_, but Alador blocked it easily. Arabella looked like she was trying to cast a spell as well, but she was unable to form the words. Alador had already hit her with something. Harry scrambled to his feet and leapt into the air, flying at Alador.

He slammed against his back and made him stumble to the ground. He leapt over him and over to Draco and Arabella. He waved his hand at Arabella, removing the hex that Alador had cast on her. She smiled gratefully at him as she kept her eyes trained on Alador.

"Draco, you need to get out of here," Harry ordered as he helped him up. Draco was shaking from the cold and from fear. He shook his head though.

"I am not leaving you here to deal with this. I can help you," Draco replied.

Harry cupped his face. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you," he said kindly.

"And I would never forgive myself if something happened to you when I could have helped," Draco responded confidently back. They stared at each other for several moments before Harry nodded.

Alador was still face down in the snow and Goyle was gone. Harry frowned as he looked over to where he had been wondering where he could have gone. He scanned the area around them, but didn't see him. When he turned back Arabella's eyes were wide and she was looking down at Alador. Harry looked down and watched as his wings began to move and his body began changing. Harry spread his wings and stood protectively in front of Draco with Arabella partially covered as well.

Alador stood up, his body looking younger than even Harry's. His wings spread out behind him and his eyes were shining brightly. His gaze was narrowed as he looked at Harry. "Ever since you came to be, you have challenged everything that I've told you about our kind. You've challenged the ways that have been set since before any of our time. You've challenged the rules of protecting someone. You've mated and bonded with the person you were created to protect. You've caused others to go against the rules. What do you have to say for yourself?" Alador commanded. His voice echoed throughout the clearing.

Harry stared at him and then lifted an eyebrow. "What I have to say is this, do you know who I am? I am Harry Potter. I'm a rule breaker. Ever since I found out I was a wizard, I began breaking the rules. I challenge the system. I don't just sit back and take it. If you even remotely knew who I was before I became like you, you would know this. I have limited time with Draco and I am going to use the time as best as I can and if that means we completed our bond, then so be it. I didn't tell Arabella to break the rules. She knew how angry and frustrated I've always been with you and our kind and she was sympathetic to my needs. Don't punish her for having more of a heart than you," Harry responded angrily back.

Alador's eyes turned red and he let out a furious cry. "More of a heart! More of a heart!" he yelled. He began cackling loudly clutching at his stomach. "She has no heart! She has no soul! She's a rule breaker too! She broke the rules when she denied our bond!" he continued angrily.

"You killed my husband! What was I supposed to do? Say 'oh that's okay Alador; I didn't love him in the first place. Take me away.' No! You killed the man I loved because you couldn't take no for an answer. You got rid of the competition. How could I ever, ever, want to be with a murderer?" Arabella responded heatedly as she stepped from behind Harry

"We were mates! You didn't have a choice!" Alador yelled.

"You're wrong. We always have a choice. We can accept our mate or we don't. When we are two of the same kind, it doesn't affect us the way it does Harry and Draco. You've held this grudge against me for fifty years and now you're taking it out on Harry and Draco because they want to be together, they've accepted the bond. You can't do that. You can't decide that everyone after us should be doomed," Arabella stressed.

Harry was looking between the two in confusion. _Mates? _He thought. He glanced over at Draco who looked just as confused. "So you're pissed that Draco and I are mates and actually want to be? You knew when I got this task that Draco was my mate and you let this happen anyway?" Harry questioned still very confused.

"He wasn't going to stop you from protecting him because he knew that after Draco was safe, you would go your separate ways and die. No one is allowed to be happy if he isn't. When you die Harry, our line dies with you. You are the last of our kind. Did you forget that, Alador?" Arabella said in a flat tone, her icy gaze never leaving Alador's.

"I'm the last one?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"You're lying, Arabella. There are others," Alador responded heatedly.

Arabella shook her head. "I work in the archives. I know that Harry is the last one. He has mated and our kind could go on with him, but all you care about is getting back at me. You've effectively ruined ten bonds in the past fifty years because you are holding a grudge against me. You are eliminating your own kind," she responded tiredly.

"How are you still in power?" Draco questioned from behind Harry.

Alador's eyes flashed red as he glared over at him. "Because nobody dares to challenge me," he muttered darkly.

"Until now," Harry said through clenched teeth. He moved his body into a defensive stance. Alador copied his stance as they stared each other down. Draco and Arabella shifted nervously. Draco looked down at Alador's hands and saw that he had balls of energy building there. He bit his lip nervously and quickly looked around for a way to help Harry, but he was coming up short.

A few yards away there was a rustling noise that caught Draco's attention. He looked over and stared intently at the spot. Arabella cried out and as Draco whipped his head around to see what had happened; Alador and Harry were in the sky throwing hexes at one another. Alador was shooting balls of energy at Harry in rapid succession and somehow Harry was avoiding the shots as he tried to fire off his own. They were very evenly matched and as Draco watched, he noticed how graceful they both were.

Draco turned back to look at Arabella to see why she cried out and he saw that she had sunk to the ground and was jerking. He knew what that was. She had been hit with the Cruciatus curse. Draco looked around and crouched down as he reached for his wand to find it missing. He scrambled over to Arabella and tried to soothe her. As he was leaning over her, he saw a jet of light out of the corner of his eye. He knew what spell it was. He shoved Arabella out of the way and scrambled backwards before it hit the empty space between them and singed the ground.

"Harry!" Draco cried out. Both Harry and Alador stopped to look down. Alador's eyes widened as he saw Arabella's crumpled form. Harry took in the scene and let his senses out to find whoever was casting the spells. He knew it had to be Goyle and soon he found him not too far away. He looked back at Alador who was staring intently at Arabella, who was no longer moving. His eyes brightened to an angry red and he looked back up at Harry, his gaze narrowed.

"You did this! You've killed her!" Alador yelled.

Harry stared back at him in disbelief. "I have been dealing with you this entire time. I did nothing to Arabella. You sent her here, not me," he responded in a heated voice.

Alador cried out and lunged himself at Harry. Harry was caught off guard and took the brunt of the hit. Alador pushed him through the air and into a tree. His whole body slammed into the tree and his head began spinning. Alador wrapped his hand around his neck, holding him in place. Harry stared at him as the grip around his neck tightened.

"Alador! No!" Arabella screamed. Alador's grip loosened as he turned to look down at her. She was struggling to get up, but was most definitely alive. Alador let go of Harry's neck and flew down to her. Harry slid down the tree, his mind a bit foggy. He shook his head a few times and when he looked up he saw Draco running towards him. He watched him as if he was moving in slow motion. He couldn't quite focus on him, but what he did see was a jet of light heading towards Draco. He scrambled up off the ground, his head swimming, and started moving towards Draco. He felt like he was moving through mud.

"Draco, watch out!" Harry yelled. He launched into the air to get closer and watched in horror as Draco went to the ground, the jet of light following him. Harry pushed forward and slid beneath the spell which hit the edge of one of his wings and completely missed Draco. Harry cried out as he could feel the spell hit his wing and he fell out of the air and skidded across the snow. Draco stood up quickly and started moving towards Harry to be sure he was alright.

"_Jacturae vitae_!" Goyle yelled as he stood up from the bushes and pointed Draco's wand at him. Draco stopped and looked up as he quickly translated the spell. His eyes widened and as he looked down at Harry, who was looking up at him, they exchanged a panicked look. Harry pushed himself off the ground. He cringed as he moved.

"No!" Harry called out as he stood up, his back turned to Goyle. Draco cried out, reaching for Harry. The light hit Harry square in the back. They locked eyes as Harry's face contorted in pain. Draco's hands went to his mouth as he watched Harry's face go slack and his eyes close as he collapsed to the ground.


	20. Exile

**A/N: This is super short and I'm sure you'll have more questions or be concerned, but tomorrow will be another chapter :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 20: Exile**

"Harry? Harry?" Draco called as he jogged over to him. He knelt down next to him and shook him. He felt tears coming to his eyes as he stared down at him. He wasn't moving and he wasn't even sure he was breathing. Draco's gaze narrowed as the tears began slipping down his cheeks. Arabella ran over, Alador right behind her. Draco looked up and over at Goyle, his eyes narrowed. "_Accio wand_!" he yelled, thrusting his hand out towards him. Draco's wand flew from Goyle's hand and straight into Draco's. As soon as he got it, he flicked the wand and sent several spells at Goyle at once.

Alador reached out to grab his arm to stop him from sending the continuous spells that had turned Goyle unconscious. Draco flung his arm back and turned his furious glare on Alador. He whipped his arm back and leveled his wand at Alador's chest. "Stay away from me. You put this in motion and you deserve to pay just as much as Goyle," Draco seethed. He began flicking his wrist and casting spells at Alador. He took the first couple, but then quickly blocked them. Draco did not let up even though he felt his body becoming tired from the loss of magic. Alador moved backwards to try and get away, but then Arabella cried out in surprise and Draco turned to look at her, worried that something was going on with Harry. Sure enough, something was.

Draco turned his body fully towards Harry who was now glowing brightly and floating above the ground. His body was limp and his back was arched. He watched in awe as he lifted higher and grew brighter. Arabella and Alador had never seen something like this happen and were both just as entranced as Draco. Suddenly, Harry's body bent in a way that did not seem feasible and then bursts of light erupted out of Harry. He cried out and then he stopped and he floated easily to the ground, unmoving. Draco scrambled over to him. He touched his face, his hands, his arms. They were all cold. He placed his ear next to Harry's mouth to listen for his breathing. He heard nothing.

"Harry? Harry, please. Wake up. Don't leave me. You can't just make love to someone and then be gone. You just can't. Come on Harry, please wake up," Draco begged through his tears.

Arabella knelt down again and pulled Harry's head onto her lap. She placed her hands on his head and closed her eyes. Draco looked up at her with wide, panicked eyes. "What are you doing? Don't hurt him!" he cried

Arabella opened her eyes and looked at him. Her eyes were white. "She's looking into his mind to see if he's still there. To see if there is hope," Alador muttered.

Draco whipped his head in his direction and glared. "How dare you even speak about there being hope? You did this to him. You brought Goyle and Zabini into this. If Harry dies, I guarantee I will make you suffer for the rest of your pathetic life!" Draco yelled angrily.

Alador stared at him, defeated. "You are right. I did this. I brought this danger upon you both because I was so angry at myself for what I did to ruin the possibility of a bond with my mate. I am truly sorry. Arabella, I loved you for so long and I am so deeply sorry for what I did to you," he whispered as he disappeared.

Draco looked around frantically. "Where is he? Where did he go?" he demanded.

"He has put himself in exile. He will spend the rest of his days away from all kinds. Arabella let me take him. There may still be time," a man said from a few yards away. He had materialized out of nowhere and Draco had no clue who he was.

"Who the hell are you? You can't take him!" Draco cried as he flung himself over Harry protectively. He felt a warm hand on his cheek.

"Draco, this is Bandon. He is a healer for our kind. You can trust him. Harry is still in there somewhere and if anyone can bring him back, it's Bandon, and you," Arabella told him calmly.

Draco looked between her and Bandon. He worried his lip as he tried to decide if he could trust this new person. He returned his gaze to Harry. He couldn't imagine losing him when he had just found him again. He leaned over and pressed a gentle, but firm kiss to his lips and then moved away from him so that Bandon could take him away.

Arabella stayed kneeling as she stared at the place that Harry had been. When she finally looked up to meet Draco's tearful gaze she smiled kindly at him. "He loves you very much, Draco. I saw it in his mind. He's fighting to be with you and I hope that you can be. I truly do. I will come and get you when it is safe for you to be with him. Please, stay here, and be safe," she told him reassuringly. She patted his cheek before she disappeared.

Draco stared at the spot she had been for several minutes. Finally, he stood and started across the clearing to the cabin. He looked over at where Goyle laid in a heap and quickly sent a patronus to the aurors. He then levitated Goyle into the forest and out of Harry's boundaries before dropping him a bit roughly to the ground. He returned to Harry's cabin. He walked straight to the bear skin rug and laid down, reliving their love making and taking in the scent that belong to Harry. He closed his eyes and began sobbing and begging to Merlin that he would make Harry better and bring him back to him.


	21. The End

**A/N: Just remember that you love me :)**

**Chapter 21: The End**

Sometime later, Draco was shook awake. He opened his eyes slowly and painfully as they were a bit sore from crying so much. Judging by the light in the room it was early morning. He sat up carefully and looked around. Arabella was sitting against the couch, watching him. Her expression was grim which made Draco's stomach turn violently.

"Oh gods," was all Draco could say.

Arabella held her hand out to him. "Come, Draco," she said quietly. Draco gulped as he reached out and took her hand. They left Harry's cabin behind and materialized into another cabin that had the distinct feeling of a hospital. He looked around and could tell that it was in fact a hospital, one of Harry's kind. Arabella motioned for Draco to follow her. He did. He looked through the rooms as they went along, but saw no one. At the end of the hallway there was one last room. The one he guessed that Harry was in. Arabella sighed as she opened the door. Draco peeked around her and felt tears coming to his eyes again as he took in the form on the bed.

"Hello love," Harry whispered his voice hoarse.

Draco closed his eyes for several seconds before he opened them and still saw Harry staring back at him. He rushed over to him and threw his arms around him. Harry groaned, but returned the hug. Draco stepped back and cupped Harry's face in his hands. "Are you okay?"

Harry glanced over at Arabella and nodded. "For the most part yes," he replied quietly.

Draco looked at him in confusion and looked over at Arabella and back to Harry. "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed. "I am dying Draco. Goyle hit me with something that is killing me. I don't think I have much time, but I told Arabella that I had to see you one last time. It's probably selfish of me to put you through seeing me once more before I die, but there is a lot that needs to be said. I am so sorry for everything that you've been through these past few days. I'm sorry that it's my fault. What I'm not sorry for though is that I got to spend this time with you and that for a short time I was able to show you the love you deserve. I wish the best for you and beg you to stay strong and not follow me. I would never forgive myself if you did that," Harry told him as strongly as he could.

Tears were spilling from Draco's eyes. He was shaking his head, refusing to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. "Harry, stop. You're talking crazy talk. You're going to be fine. You'll get through this like everything else and then we'll go back to your cabin and we'll relax and enjoy our life together. Don't give up," Draco cried. Harry's eyes were shining with his tears. He closed them and the tears escaped.

"Draco, he's telling you the truth. He is barely alive as it is. What is keeping him alive is that he needed to see you one last time. There is nothing more that can be done," Arabella told him sincerely.

Draco turned on her. "Don't say that! He can't die. We have to be together! I can't lose him now. We just found each other again. How can this be happening?" Draco questioned as he shook his head over and over again.

"Draco, love, please," Harry muttered as he tried to lift his arm to reach out to him. Draco turned back to him and gasped as he saw how pale Harry had become and the fact that he was unable to lift his arm very much. He knew that they weren't pretending. Harry was dying. Despite everything, he was dying. He knew that it was possible because of their bond, but he didn't know that it would be so soon.

"Harry," Draco said as his voice cracked and he wrapped his arms around him, sobs shaking his body. Harry rocked him and held him close. Draco leaned back and looked into his eyes. They were a dull green, not the green he wanted to remember. Harry's eyes changed to their normal green and Draco smiled a little. He leaned forward and kissed Harry soundly.

"I love you," Harry's voice whispered into his mind.

"I love you too," Draco responded back in his mind. He felt Harry's mouth stop moving and when he leaned back, Harry was looking up at him, with a smile and then his eyes closed and his head fell back against his pillow. Draco moved back from him. His tears were falling silently.

He turned around and quickly left the room, unable to look back. He didn't want to look upon the life that he could have had, if only things were different. Blaise and Goyle had completed their mission. They had ruined Draco's life in the most horrible way possible. They took away his love, his only true love. Draco wanted to follow Harry so badly, but he knew that even though he didn't say the words, he promised Harry that he wouldn't follow.

Draco felt a part of himself break away and disappear. He figured it must be the bond thus being Harry, but he knew in his mind that he would never stop loving him. He had to keep living. That's all he had left. Life must go on even if Draco wanted it to end.


	22. Epilogue

**A/N: Man, such anger from you all ;) I debated about posting this now, but I wanted to give this last little bit to you :) Thanks for reading this story! Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 22: Epilogue**

_Six Months Later_

Draco sat alone in a classic white wedding chair. He sat towards the front. He was waiting for his duties as the best man to begin. Theo was in his dressing room getting ready. None of the wedding guests had arrived yet so Draco was alone. He stared up at the altar as he thought about what he would have liked at his own wedding some day. He knew that Hermione and Theo's wedding would be beautiful. He also knew that Hermione was going to have an extra hard day because her best man was missing.

She had not taken the news well that Harry had died and Draco had hated to tell her. She was hurting, but not nearly as much as Draco. She still had Theo. Draco had no one, well, he didn't have Harry anyway. It hadn't got any easier. He hadn't healed at all from the loss. He was barely holding it together, but he kept on living just as Harry had asked.

"Draco?" someone called out to him. He turned around to see Arabella standing in the aisle. She smiled kindly at him. "How are you?" she asked as she stepped closer.

Draco's lip quivered before he responded. "Not well. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check in on you. I feel like I failed you," she replied.

Draco scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Failed me? How? You didn't make this happen. You didn't kill Harry," he responded.

"Yes, I know, but I also should have brought you to him sooner, so you'd have more time. We were trying so hard to save him that we didn't get you sooner. I am sorry for that," she apologized.

Draco shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Harry's still gone so…" he trailed off as he looked away.

"Yes, but I'd like to make it up to you," she said quietly.

Draco looked back over at her. "How could you possibly make it up to me?" he asked in confusion.

"By bringing me to you," someone said from behind her. Draco's eyes widened as he looked on the person that had spoken. It was Harry and he looked ethereal. Draco stood and started walking towards him slowly, studying him. He stopped a few feet away, unable to move any closer.

"What kind of joke is this?" Draco questioned as he looked over at Arabella.

"It's no joke, love," Harry said into his mind.

Draco's eyes widened and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He moved towards him quickly and leapt into his waiting arms. He held him tightly and began to cry. He stepped back, searched his beautiful green eyes, and then hugged him tightly again. Harry ran his fingers through Draco's hair at the nape of his neck and murmured into his ear.

Draco stepped back again and looked at him. Harry reached up and cupped his face. "I'm sure you're wondering how in the heck I'm here," Harry whispered quietly. Draco chuckled through his tears and nodded. Harry smiled at him as he leaned forward and kissed him deeply. They kissed for several moments before they broke apart. Harry gestured for them to sit and they did while Arabella sat a few seats back.

Draco clutched Harry's hands and would not let go. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Well, when you came to see me, I was dying, the black angel part of me. Apparently, somewhere in our kind, there is a change that can occur if we sacrifice ourselves for the one that we are protecting. It is even more of a change if it involves our mate. Since I took the curse that was meant for you, the change occurred. I went from being this dark angel to being a sort of white angel. Not one from heaven or anything like that, but the opposite in our kind. Because of this change, our bond changed as well. Have you forgotten me? Have you been able to move on with your life?"

"No, of course not! I've thought about you every second of my day since you died. I haven't moved on. I can't!" Draco cried.

Harry smiled at him, his theory proving to be true. Draco looked at him in confusion. He didn't understand why he was smiling. "Draco, that means that our bond is still intact and that we are still mates. There is no threat against you any longer and I am not tasked to protect you. We can still be together," Harry explained.

Draco's eyes widened. "Seriously? Like you're not going to die and I'm not going to forget about you?" he asked in disbelief.

Harry smiled and nodded. Draco looked over at Arabella for confirmation and she nodded as well as she smiled. "You still want me, right?" Harry asked uncertainly. He bit his lip as he watched him.

Draco started to laugh and shook his head. "Have you not been listening to me? I can't move on. I've been devastated since you died. Of course I still want you. Gods, I've never wanted you so much in my life," Draco proclaimed.

Harry smiled and leaned forward to capture Draco's lips in a kiss. Draco moaned into the kiss as he threw his arms around Harry's neck. He placed himself on his lap and pushed his body against the warmth that Harry provided. Harry groaned as he held him closely. They broke their kiss and held each other. "I missed you so much," Harry whispered.

"I've missed you so damn much. I can't believe you're here. This is a dream come true," Draco replied quietly.

Harry leaned back and smirked at him. "You think this is a dream come true? Just you wait, love," Harry replied in a teasing tone.

Draco laughed. "Oh, really now? Before we make our dreams come true, I think we need to partake in someone else's dream. You may want to go see her before the wedding starts. She's barely holding it together as it is," he told him. He reluctantly got up off of his lap and stood. Harry stood as well and took Draco's hand. They started walking up the aisle to go find Hermione.

Arabella cleared her throat. "Harry, you're forgetting to tell Draco something fairly important," she reminded him.

Harry stopped and blushed. "Oh, right," he said as he turned to face Draco. Draco was looking back at him in confusion and concern. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what Harry had to say.

"Please tell me that you are not just here for like a twenty-four hour gig and then you have to leave again?" Draco asked nervously.

Harry and Arabella exchanged a look, but began laughing. "No, love, I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry. It's just, you know how we made love," he whispered that part which caused them both to blush. "Well, how do you feel about being a father?" Harry continued.

Draco's eyes widened in confusion. "A father? What are you talking about? Wait, did you sleep with someone else?" he demanded the last question. He sent an accusatory look at Arabella who put her hands up and shook her head.

Harry reached up and cupped Draco's chin, turning his head back towards him so that he could focus on him. "No, I did not sleep with someone else. It's something else that I've learned about our kind. We're going to have a baby, Draco," Harry responded. He grinned at Draco who went from blushing, to red in anger, to being as pale as a ghost.

"Are you…. Are you….pregnant?" he questioned in disbelief.

Harry started to laugh. "Oh no, that isn't physically possible," Harry replied.

"Am I pregnant?" he asked, his tone a bit fearful as he looked down at his stomach.

Harry shook with his laughter now. "No, that isn't physically possible for you either. Someone is carrying a child for us. It was a little procedure that was done while I was in the hospital. Quite fascinating really," Harry pointed out.

Draco felt his knees go weak and hobbled over to a chair and sunk into it. "I'm going to be a father. You and I are going to have a child?" he asked still in disbelief.

"Yes, we are. Our kind has to continue so thus we are having a child. It's brilliant, isn't it?" Harry replied wistfully. He was smiling like a fool and looking off into the distance. Draco looked up at him and studied the blissful look on his face. He grinned, knowing that he couldn't imagine anything more perfect.

"It is, love, but what's even greater is that you're alive and we can be together," Draco said.

Harry looked over at him and smiled. "Yes, that is definitely greater," he replied as he leaned over and kissed Draco soundly. Draco responded fully and once again they kissed for several moments. At some point, Arabella had smiled fondly at the two and disappeared leaving them alone, if just for a moment.

They broke apart again. "We need to find Hermione. She'll be doubly thrilled," Draco reminded.

Harry nodded and they stood once again. They started walking up the aisle again, hand in hand. "Any baby name ideas?" he asked.

Draco scoffed. "I just found out I'm going to be a father and you want me to have some baby names prepared? Oh gods, I'm going to be an unwed father," he said fearfully, his eyes wide.

Harry chuckled. "We've still got three months before the baby will be here. I'm sure that we can get married between now and then," Harry pointed out.

Draco stopped and looked at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right? There is so much that goes into planning a wedding. The cake, guests, venue, flowers, honeymoon spot, we can't possibly plan that all in less than three months," Draco exclaimed as he counted them off on his free hand.

They started walking again. "Lucky for you, I've been hard at work planning while I've been bed ridden," Harry responded.

Draco glanced over at him. "Love, you have decent taste and all, but I really think I need to look over your plans. You might have missed something or might need a different look at things," he offered.

Harry laughed and kissed the side of his head. "I love you, you know that?"

Draco grinned and blushed. "I know, and I love you," he replied.

Harry stopped and turned Draco to face him. He brought his hands up again and cupped his face. He ran his thumb over Draco's lips before leaning forward and kissing him passionately.

Everything was going to be absolutely perfect.


End file.
